The Five
by Jason Andrew
Summary: I wrote this novel ten years ago. It has vampires, magic, and all sorts of supernatural fun. It is decent for a first try at a novel. I just didn't realize at the time it was basically World of Darkness fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

The Highway West Andrew 25

Chapter One: Murphy's Law

_As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being._

_-C.G. Jung_

The vampire plucked her black sunglasses from her face to peer into the murky neon lit night. The moon dilated through the haze of smog emerging slightly red. After two years of roaming around the country, the vampire was returning to the one place she could remotely call home. Despite the various dream scenarios of a large white house, complete with a white picket fence, a dog, and a tree house in the back yard; Sister Mary's Home for Children was the reality. Marguerite Sanchez almost smiled. She learned a long time ago not to dream; dreams never came true. But that didn't stop the nightmares.

_**They were walking down the desert road. The sizzling sun sauntered across the sky beating down upon the black asphalt. It felt like the entire world rested on their shoulders. In the distance, she heard the blast of a mighty trumpet. Scared, Marguerite did not want to continue but knew that if she failed Sister Mary's Home for Children would be destroyed. **_

Now that she had driven across the country, Marguerite was not impressed. The colossal Victorian home looked as though it hadn't been painted for twenty years. The chain-linked fence surrounded the grounds providing moderate protection, which was never enough in downtown Los Angeles. The unnaturally bright green grass was still kept orderly, cut, and fresh with life even during the sweltering summer months. "Sister Bertha wouldn't have it any other way," Marguerite thought with a wince, remembering the old nun's favorite punishment.

To the right of Sister Mary's, an abandoned, rotting house used to be the monstrosity of the neighborhood. Sister Bertha must have demanded the owner to clean up the house at least a thousand times a year. Even though it looked like the house from the movie _Psycho_, Marguerite used to hide in its dark hallways whenever Sister Bertha ran down the warpath. Over the last few years, the owner finally listened to Sister Bertha and tore it down. Of course, the owners replaced it almost immediately with a thriving Zip-in-Go. Marguerite wished she could have seen Sister Bertha's face when she found out. A huge cinder block wall divided the Zip-in Go's parking lot and Sister Mary's fence.

"Still trying to keep the world out, Bertha?" Marguerite whispered with a grimace.

Marguerite restarted her van, shifted, and drove into Zip-in-Go's parking lot. After parking, Marguerite locked the passenger doors and pulled the curtain closed behind her. Not many people could see through the black tint of the windows from the outside, but Marguerite didn't want to take the risk. She slid out of the seat, slammed the door of the lime green Dodge van, locked the driver's door, and tasted the putrid L.A. air.

A large mural of the Virgin Mary had been painted on this side of the brick wall with the inscription: _ Learn the secrets of Eternal life. Call 1-900-875-7711._ Next to the Virgin Mary was an advertisement for Pacific Bell, except that someone had spray-painted the letter H over the B.

Marguerite chuckled. It was almost good to be home.

As soon as she opened the door to the Zip-in-Go, Marguerite knew everyone stared. As a little girl, Sister Agatha must have told her a thousand times that she was as beautiful as a princess. That was before Sister Agatha left her to marry a Southern Baptist minister and moved to Butte, Montana. That was before Brad decided to do the horizontal tango with some cheerleader bimbo in the back seat of his Firebird. That was before she went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. That was before her Assimilation.

Now, Marguerite looked more feral than beautiful. Her long, dark brown hair looked wild. Her dark almond eyes possessed an unnerving quality that forced others to look away. Marguerite wore a scruffy black leather jacket that she bought at the Salvation Army. On the jacket's right collar hung a yellow button with the black inscription _"Life's a Bitch and so am I." _Under her jacket, she wore a large plain black t-shirt. Her Levi's were tight and faded to a light grayish blue. She wore frayed black Doc Martins. Even through her Assimilation, her skin retained its brown, earthy tones from her Mexican heritage. Around her neck, Marguerite wore the only gift she had received in her entire life: a small gold Catholic crucifix from Sister Agatha. Her body looked thin and delicate, but her walk and mannerisms suggested she knew how to handle herself. Few people would now call her beautiful in the classic or fashionable sense.

Despite constantly searching in her travels, Marguerite had met few of the Blood. The few that she did meet were disgusted with the fact that she still ate. As she pulled the lever for the bright red slushy, Marguerite sighed. Although she no longer needed to eat, it fed a part of her desire to remain human. It was better to drink a slushy than what she really craved.

"Hey, Baby. What's say you and me go and make ourselves a memory." The voice was male, too close, and behind her.

Marguerite snapped around to confront the voice. He was a little taller than Marguerite, but definitely had more visible muscle. His skin was slightly darker than hers, but was covered with oily hair. His lusty, light brown eyes contemplated her body's form. His black hair was cut short and covered with a blue bandanna. He wore loose fitting slacks and a dirty white undershirt. Marguerite could almost taste the cheap wine on his breath.

"Let's not and say we did."

"Don't bitch out on me now, hoe."

"What did you call me?"

"Hoe!"

Hellish gleaming scarlet eyes flamed from Marguerite's sockets. Her voice turned deep, animalistic, and barely human. _"Don't fuck with me or I'll tie your balls around your neck for a bow tie!" _she growled softly.

His intuitive response was to instantly release his lower abdominal muscles, wetting the floor. "Is there being a problem over there?" The cashier asked with a heavy Middle Eastern accent.

Marguerite looked at him with her normal eyes. "No problem," she said sweetly.

Quickly, she returned her beaming scarlet gaze at her would be suitor. _ "No problem at all."_

After paying for the slushy, Marguerite took a long, hard, slurp from her straw. There were a lot of things she missed about being a mortal, but being part of the Blood did have advantages. One of them being that she no longer got headaches from drinking a slushy too fast.

"Can I be helping you, sir?" the cashier asked someone behind Marguerite that she had not noticed before.

"No thank you, sir. Just browsing."

The deep voice made Marguerite think of James Earl Jones. Heeding the call of the voice, Marguerite glanced behind her to discover Iron John.

Although Iron John had to be nearly forty, his bulging muscles were still impressive. Few could gaze at his six foot seven and two hundred and eighty pound body without feeling fear and awe. The fear lasted only until Iron John smiled revealing his wide smile, complete with a gap in the middle of his teeth. His ebony skin was tanned to the color of the blackest night after years of working construction in the blistering California sun. His broad nose defined his face like an untamed mountain. His black hair was cut short in a military fashion. As he walked towards Marguerite, she could hear his large boots stomping on the floor.

"Hi!" Marguerite greeted him, excited for the first time since she crossed the California border.

Iron John glanced down at her. For a brief second he wrinkled his brow trying to remember Marguerite. "Ah! Marguerite you've grown up!"

"It's been a few years. When did you get back?"

"Around a week ago. Do you remember the stories I used to tell you children?"

"Yeah," Marguerite answered.

In the years before Sister Mary's could afford a television, Iron John would visit after work to tell stories. Although she loved the stories, it was the descriptions of far away lands that enticed her. When he spoke of Delilah betraying Samson, and the Philistines gouging his eyes out, the characters became more than mere facts to memorize in Sister Bertha's Sunday school class. Around Iron John, she could almost believe in God.

"Do you still like to walk?" he asked her.

Iron John was famous for his walks. During slow construction periods, he would walk for days to no place in particular. Sometimes he took Marguerite with him. "I usually drive now."

"That is too bad. People forget the value of the feet the good Lord gave them."

"As long as I get from point A to point B, I don't give a shit."

"That is too bad. You depend too much upon the machine to get what you need and as they say, 'getting there is half the fun,'" Iron John informed her.

Iron John laughed. To his surprise, Marguerite joined him. "You haven't had a real belly laugh in a long time. Am I right?"

Marguerite quickly replaced her smile with a scowl. "Not that long."

"It's been too long."

For a second, Marguerite scrutinized him. She thought about asking how he knew so much about her, then decided against it. "Maybe it has," she admitted.

"It has been good to see you, again. Will you walk with me?"

"I can't. I have some business at Sister Mary's that I have to deal with."

"I know. You have friends to meet. Allies. A new family. One of them needs your help now. When you are finally free, you can walk with me. I'll be around. All you have to do is look, you'll find me," he said.

Marguerite knew better than to argue with the large black man. He always seemed to know things about people. Things that shamed people. Still, he always loved them. "Thanks, I will."

Iron John bought a large loaf of wheat bread and a box of fish sticks, thanked the Arabic cashier, then strolled out of the store whistling a hymn. Marguerite was not sure, but she thought it was _Walking Across Egypt. _

Glancing at the clock, Marguerite discovered that it was one o' clock in the morning. "Shit!" she cursed.

Everyone in Sister Mary's would already be asleep, even on a Friday night. If she wanted to visit the orphanage, she'd have to wait until tomorrow night. Visiting during the day would be uncomfortable to say the least. It was going to be a long night.

"'And He took a little child and had him stand among them. He said to them 'Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one that sent me.' Lord, I know that ya have a plan, but I am worried about the children. Please protect 'em at the concert. I've only been in L.A. for a few weeks, but I've heard about the dangers. I've seen _COPS_ on T.V, I know what it's like out there. Please protect 'em with your love and guidance and bring 'em home safely," Ruthie prayed. Her sweet, energetic voice possessed a distinct Southern Accent.

Ruthie Jones hated Los Angeles as much as she would allow herself to hate anything. If she had it her way she would run back home to Alabama without ever turning back, but this is where God called her to go. In Los Angeles, as Sister Bertha was fond of telling her, anything could happen. At least with her ex-husband Keith, she could prepare herself.

She tried for hours to get Sister Bertha to tell the older kids they couldn't go, but Bertha refused saying that they were old enough to make their own decisions. Somehow the kids had gotten free concert tickets. Ruthie was afraid to ask from where.

Steve, who was seventeen and the eldest living at Sister Mary's Home for Children, worked hard last summer at _Jack in The Box_ to save enough to buy a used station wagon. Since then, he and Sylvia had been spending a lot of time together alone. Ruthie tried to preach the Gospel and convince them to wait for marriage, but they laughed at her. She was divorced, what did she know about love?

Sometimes, Ruthie wished she had kept a picture of Keith, if only to remember him. Late at night, she missed him. A year later, she could only remember the good times. Maybe he wasn't so bad. Maybe if she had tried harder. . .

She sniffed trying to stifle a tear. She was married to him even if he did. . .

**BOOM! Boom! Boom! BOOM!** The windows started to rattle. "Earthquake!" Ruthie thought.

Quickly, she jumped off her bed, still wearing the clothes from the day before. It was not until she passed her window that she realized that although the windows were shaking she couldn't feel the earthquake. Ruthie looked out the window to see a purple Cadillac parked on the other side of the brick wall, in the Zip-n-Go parking lot, blasting music. _"Can ya feel it? Stalk'n and talk'n in the darkness! Rap'n and tap'n on the chamber door. Quote the homey, say never fuck'n more!" _a male voice rapped with the technofunk beat.

"O' my Lord," Ruthie cried as she blushed.

_"Can't ya feel it? Shadow's jump'n! Heart's thump'n! It's time the get the fuck out of dodge city!"_

"Ruthie!"

"What is it, Tina?" Ruthie asked as she opened the door.

"I can't sleep. The music is too loud," Tina complained.

"Go back to bed, it'll be okay, honey."

"Okay, but they're saying words you said was bad," Tina reported.

Ruthie grabbed her Bible, put on a sweater, left her room, and marched down the hall. "Ruthie, where do you think you're going?"

Ruthie looked over at Sister Bertha, who was peeking her head out of her bedroom. "I am going to ask them to turn down their radio."

"I already called the police. They said to stay indoors."

Sister Bertha looked at Ruthie. Although she was nearly twenty seven, in a lot of ways, she was more innocent than most of the children that lived at Sister Mary's. Her hazel eyes looked determined. Her shoulder length, light blond hair looked perfectly combed even at one o' clock in the morning. She wore an old pair of jeans and a Disneyland sweatshirt. Even at this late hour, in old, wrinkled clothing, Ruthie looked like she could be a Barbie doll model.

"There's no reason ta call the police. I'm certain that once they realize that children are sleeping, they'll understand."

"This isn't Alabama, girl. Not everyone has respect here. You go back to your room."

"I'm going down there. If we don't start trusting these people, then they'll never trust us."

"Ruthie, there's a reason I try to keep us separated from the community. If you go out there, they might kill you and maybe do something worse. Iron John isn't going to be there to protect you this time."

"When God is for us, who can stand against us?" Ruthie asked as she marched down the stairs.

Marguerite strutted out of the Zip-in-Go as the mauve, low-rider Cadillac swerved into the parking lot. Sparks danced into the air as its muffler hit the curve. Five people, Marguerite couldn't see who, piled out of the Cadillac and passed around a bottle wrapped in a dirty brown paper bag. Unfortunately, they parked next to her van. Marguerite hoped they wouldn't be any trouble.

Glancing into the car as she strolled towards her van, Marguerite noticed huge speakers in the back seat. She was impressed that five people fit in the car with those speakers. Two of them were the generic seventeen year old gang bangers that Marguerite had seen since she was old enough to understand. Around this neighborhood, you joined a gang when you got old enough. Either that or you were alone against the world. Each one had a younger girl hanging on them. Marguerite felt sorry for them. Unless you knew how to take care of yourself, you either got gang banged or joined a gang. She watched as each girl fawned over one of the boys.

Their only status was being someone's hoe. They were walking meat waiting to be consumed and they knew it. Most of them tried to make the best out of it and package themselves to get someone with status. High status or not, all of them had to go through the blow line. All of the guys in the gang line up and drop their pants. If girls want in, they have to satisfy every guy on the line. In high school, Marguerite had a friend Rosa that went through initiation. She didn't talk for three weeks afterwards.

It was the fifth person that attracted her attention. He looked about thirty, which was old for this crowd. Dark black skin highlighted the dark purple velvet trench-coat he wore. His Levi's shorts were acid washed. Long dreadlocks partly covered his beautiful brown eyes. His facial features looked as though they had been carved out of stone and his bare chest boasted a large set of pectoral muscles. Marguerite was not one to fawn over an attractive man, but he seemed to empathically reach out to her. Around his neck, he wore a dried chicken foot attached to a silver chain. The necklace looked familiar, she had seen one just like it; the night she was Assimilated.

While the vampire mentally ran through her options, a white woman, in her early twenties, marched across the parking lot carrying a large green book. Her blonde hair was shoulder length and looked like a model from an underwear ad, except that she was wearing wrinkled jeans and a Disneyland sweater. "What the hell does she think she's doing?" Marguerite muttered to herself.

Marguerite looked around for Iron John, but he was no where to be found.

Ruthie stopped a few feet short of the Cadillac. "Excuse me," she said. No one could hear her over the music.

The gang stared at her blankly. The large black man smiled. "Excuse me! Could ya please turn the music down? We have children sleeping!"

"What?!" one of them asked, yelling over the music.

"Could ya please turn the music down? We have children sleeping!!"

The trenchcoat man looked over at one of the girls and nodded. She turned the music down. Now that the music was turned down, Ruthie could almost hear normally, except for a slight ringing in her ears.

The large black man sauntered over to Ruthie. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Murphy. And right now we're experiencing what is known as Murphy's Law. I make the law and everyone else follows it," he whispered with a deep voice into one of her ears, standing uncomfortably close to Ruthie.

"The Bible says to do unto others as ya would have them do unto you."

Slowly, Murphy reached over and caressed her cheek. Frigid fear froze her body as her knees began to buckle. Memories of Alabama died inside her. She forgot the time Mother had that one black boy punished for following her home. She forgot the hours Mamma punished her for praying at the Black Southern Baptist church across town, the wrong side of town. She remembered that fascination of being different from the Gardener's son and waiting, wanting to learn more.

Gently, he cupped her shoulders in her hands then slowly moved down to her waist pulling her closer to him. The touch was gentle and strong as steel at the same time. For the first time since Keith, Ruthie wanted more. Murphy moved a hand up past her stomach grasping a breast. The gates opened again, and Alabama swept back into her mind.

Slapping Murphy's hand, Ruthie attempted to break free of his grip. "What do ya think you're doing?"

"Doing to you what I want done to me."

Ruthie looked past Murphy, seeing the others forming a circle around her.

_"Let her go." _ Marguerite ordered them.

Murphy glanced towards Marguerite. "Juan, she's yours."

Juan pulled out a switchblade from his jacket and smiled. "We're gonna have fun, hoe. If you're nice, I'll be gentle," he promised.

Her eyes blazed hellishly red as she bared her fangs. _"But I like to play rough!"_

Adrenaline allowed Juan, who nearly lost control of his bowel movements, to react before Marguerite. He slashed his switchblade across her face like an butcher cutting a slab of beef. The blade cut across muscle and bone, biting deep into her face. Blood should have painted the pavement crimson, but did not. "Wha?," Juan muttered, looking perplexed.

For an instant, part of her face, from her nose to her jaw, looked as though it was going fall off. Juan could see the muscles twitch and the veins dangle. Instinctively, the mystical blood collated around the wound, sealing it. Within seconds, her face molded into its former shape like a plastic doll. _"You should have played nice, I would have been gentle,"_ Marguerite snarled.

"My God!" Juan screamed as he stabbed into her chest, tearing through her shirt and left breast.

This time, Marguerite curbed the instinct to heal herself and forced her blood through her muscles and her hands. "I'm gonna need a refill, real quick!" Marguerite thought.

As blood seeped from her chest wound, deadly animal claws formed on the tips of her fingers like a malleable glove. The blood shifted through her body, ignoring her wound, giving her muscles hellish strength. Chuckling, Marguerite swiped wildly at his neck, ripping through it like wet paper. Blood washed across her body inciting her hunger. Quickly, the vampire let the body drop, so she wouldn't be tempted. If she fed now, the lady might get hurt.

One of the girls dropped to her knees, made the Catholic crucifix, and bowed her head. "O' father, who art in heaven!" she prayed.

_"You are in Hell now!"_

"Jesus protect me!"

Marguerite laughed mockingly. _"God forgives. . .I don't," _

Murphy tugged Ruthie close to him, holding her arms tightly, and smiled at Marguerite. Shaking like an epileptic, the other ganger attempted to aim his machine gun at Marguerite. Savagely, she ripped her hand through his chest and let him drop onto the ground. Desperate, one of the girls charged Marguerite with a switchblade. Feeling an echo of pity, Marguerite only pummeled her to unconsciousness. Ignoring the remaining girl, Marguerite stalked closer to Murphy. After a few steps, her sensitive ear detected a click. The click of an automatic weapon.

She scanned behind her to see the Catholic girl, who Marguerite thought would still be praying, aiming a sub-machine gun at her. Quickly, she ducked behind her van. The spray of bullets pierced the old lime van. Several of them left holes in the back and the two tires on the damaged side were blown. "Not the van!" Marguerite muttered.

Silence. Marguerite looked under the van. She was trying to reload. Quickly, Marguerite pushed her blood again through to her muscles. She jumped on top of her van, and dove for the surprised teenager. As the girl took her next and last breath, Marguerite held her throat in her claws.

Blood! Marguerite could smell it everywhere. Like an animal, she sniffed the wind around her. She could feel the need to feed overpowering her. "I'm over here, sweetness." Marguerite looked to her left to see Murphy holding Ruthie close to him. _"Let her go, or I'll kick your ass so hard your nose'll bleed."_

Through her glowing eyes, all of the shadows of the night were gone. Her beast within begged, pleaded, and finally demanded to be let free. It took all of her willpower to maintain control.

"Oh, Childe! You do not know whom is it you face," Murphy said with a smile that revealed fangs.

"O' God!" Ruthie screamed at the top of her lungs.

Flinging Ruthie to the side, Murphy focused his mystical blood through his body and his nerves. Moving faster than Marguerite's senses could register, Murphy punched her twice and knocked her flat. Before she even realized she was flat on the pavement, Murphy pounced on her, holding her arms down with his superior supernatural strength.

"Listen to me Childe! Whom is your Lord?"

"Bite me, asshole!"

"I just might if you don't tell me who your Lord is. Speak or the blonde becomes dessert!"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Where were you Assimilated?"

"New Orleans."

"You were not Assimilated in Los Angeles?" Murphy asked.

"No."

"Why did you interfere?"

"The chicken foot."

"You've seen it before?" Murphy asked, sounding a little desperate.

"Yeah."

"Where?"

"In New Orleans. The man who Assimilated me."

"He wore a necklace like mine?" Murphy suspiciously questioned her.

"Yeah," Marguerite answered. Murphy's glare unnerved the core of her being.

"Interesting to say the least, MacDuff is an excellent player."

"Who?" Marguerite asked.

"It is not important, there is much about our kind that you do not know. You have not yet learned your power, though your blood is older than mine. You are not yet my enemy."

"I've only been part of the Blood for less than a year," Marguerite told him.

"True, but your Lord is an Elder, and had much power. You share in his power."

"You know him?" Marguerite asked, surprised.

"I know him well. I owe him a favor. Tonight, I will let you live," Murphy answered.

"Why?" Marguerite asked, flabbergasted.

"Has no one told you of the rules?"

"Rules? What rules? After my Lord Assimilated me, I was released. Until now, I have never spoken to one of the Blood for more than a few minutes."

"L.A is ruled by a Lord that rules over our kind. He has decreed that no new vampires be assimilated here. You will have to greet him if you wish to live. Here is an invitation to a private party, make certain that you attend. Your life and the orphanage depends on it."

"The Orphanage? Why? You knew I was gonna be here. How? Why start tthe fight?" Marguerite asked.

Murphy smiled and considered telled her the truth. Ruthie turned and faced evil boldly for the first time. The wild woman that helped her was being held by that beautiful, evil man. "Lord, help me!" she prayed.

Ruthie darted towards Marguerite and Murphy. Stopping a few feet before them, she closed her eyes. She had seen this done on television, but never thought she would actually try to do it. "And Jesus said, 'Be Quiet! Come out of him!' and the demon was cast aside!"

Marguerite and Murphy felt a new presence. Something neither felt before: true faith. Murphy's blood rushed through his body with the knowledge of a threat. As much as he desired Ruthie, he could not bring himself to challenge her, not yet. "Remember the Viper Room, Childe." he warned Marguerite.

"Wait," Marguerite pleaded as Murphy's form morphed into a bat.

Quickly, the bat began flipping his wings, taking flight. For a silent moment, Marguerite and Ruthie watched the bat fly towards the moon until it merged with the night.

"Are ya okay?" Ruthie asked.

The van was in no condition to drive and her body could feel the lapse in blood within her. "Hide me," Marguerite pleaded.

Sirens sang in the distance. Mamma brought her up to help the police and respect the law. They had nothing to fear by staying, yet Marguerite clearly feared them. "Are ya in trouble?" she asked the vampire.

Although she could not find a single wound on Marguerite, blood dripped from her shirt and jacket. Around her neck, Marguerite wore a small gold cross. "Whatever else this poor girl is, she's a believer," Ruthie thought.

"Please! If you don't help me, I'm gonna die."

"The police can help ya, honey."

"If the police find me, I'll be locked up and horrible things will happen to me."

"The police are our friends."

"I can barely move, and if I don't get out of here soon, I never will."

"I don't know. . ."

"If you don't help me, you might as well kill me now."

"I can take you inside Sister Mary's," Ruthie offered.

"No. We can't let them see me. . .please. I can't explain now, we have to hurry."

Ruthie helped Marguerite up and together they limped around to Sister Mary's side of the fence. "There's a shed behind the other. . ."

"Side of the home. . .I know," Marguerite interrupted.

Once the police arrived, Marguerite was hidden safely under a couple of garbage bags in the storage shed. Ruthie locked the shed and returned inside Sister Mary's. Although she hated the idea of leaving Marguerite inside the dirty shed, it was the only option to which she would agree.

A small beam of light from a street lamp shot across the inside of the shed highlighting a spider web. Each of the threads were bound by another keeping all of them stronger. Marguerite hated the idea of spiders, even though they couldn't hurt her anymore. When she was about ten, a black widow bit her on the hand. While she couldn't remember the actual spider bite, the week stay in the hospital remained burned in her memory.

The smell of gasoline irritated her nose and eyes. Although her butt hurt from sitting on the lawn mower, she was afraid to move because she could hear the police all around her. Once she even heard a couple of cops talking right outside the shed. That was when the spider first began to crawl down her back. For nearly an hour, it danced across her body sending shivers everywhere it crawled. She would have killed it, but she was afraid the cops would heard her. When one of the cops banged on the shed to check to see if the shed door could be opened, Marguerite quickly killed the spider and sighed with relief.

"Is everything okay, Ruthie?" Sister Bertha asked, once Ruthie returned inside.

"There was a gang fight outside."

"I couldn't see anything because of that wall. Your room is the only one that has the view."

"You should settle the children down, I need to lie down."

While Sister Bertha calmed the children down, Ruthie walked to her room, locked the door, and stared out her window. Within a few minutes, police cars sectioned off the entire parking lot. Twenty police officers huddled together drinking coffee while the photographer took pictures and the coroner's assistant drew the chalk outlines of the bodies. The police tried in vain to question anyone they could find. No one had anything to say. Ruthie wasn't surprised. Even if she did tell the police what she knew, none of them wouldn't believe her. It was almost morning when the police finished gathering evidence and filing reports. Slowly, the police officers moved to other assignments. In the end, Marguerite's van and the purple Cadillac were towed away as evidence.

When Ruthie felt it was safe, she crept down the stairs and outside to the shed. She quickly unlocked and opened the shed.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Need to sleep. . .the sun. . .almost up," Marguerite mumbled.

"I can take you to my bedroom."

"No lights."

"There's a window, but we'll draw the curtains."

"No light at all."

"The only place like that is my closet."

"It will do."

"Okay," Ruthie agreed.

Although Marguerite's shirt was torn to pieces and blood was caked on her jacket, Ruthie could not find a single wound on her. Her skin color had turned livid. Dark circles underscored her eye sockets. Ruthie grasped Marguerite's hand to help her out of the shed. Her hand felt as cold as winter snow.

"O' Lord. What's going on?" Ruthie asked.

Marguerite's blood could feel the sun starting to rise. "Get me inside. I'll explain everything tomorrow night. Please," Marguerite pleaded.

Ruthie remembered Marguerite as the wild woman that killed four people to save her. Now, she needed help. Although she wore the face of a demon, Ruthie could sense she had the heart of an angel. At the least, she had to figure out what had happened. In the end, Ruthie knew she had no choice. Her heart would never allow her to abandon someone who needed her, especially someone that had fought for her. Even a demon.

Ruthie and Marguerite snuck up the stairs and down the hall to Ruthie's room. To Ruthie's surprise, Sister Bertha did not catch them. Once they reached Ruthie's room, Marguerite recognized it. Sister Agatha used to live in this room.

Inside, the room seemed more like a giant closet than an actual bedroom. Several posters of Jesus covered the walls. Other than the bed the only other piece of furniture was Ruthie's scratched vanity dresser. On the far wall, Marguerite looked out of Ruthie's giant window to see the clouds turn amber in anticipation of the new day.

"I have a sleeping bag you can use," Ruthie told her.

"Thanks," Marguerite said as she grabbed it.

Wishing she could see one more sunrise, Marguerite walked into the closet. Before the first rays of sunshine pierced the smog in L.A., Marguerite totally wrapped herself in a sleeping bag and drifted to sleep.

Ruthie sat on her bed, clutching her crucifix. "Oh Lord, give me a sign!" she prayed.

**Ring! Ring! **Startled, Ruthie answered the telephone. It was her private line she had installed last week for her ministry service. "Hello," she answered the phone.

"Two of your flock have been led astray," a rich, deep voice told her.

"Who's this?" Ruthie asked.

"That is not important. One of them is already lost, but you can save the other by taking his place."

"What are ya talking about?"

"I am talking about the salvation of souls."

"Iron John? Is that you?"

"Some people call me that."

"I don't understand."

"You will. There is a darkness coming. A great, terrible war. You are a candle. So is the woman in your closet. Others will gather around you."

"Ya know about her? How? Is she really a vampire?"

"That is not important. For now answer your door."

A harsh dial tone cut off Ruthie's response. "Answer my door. No one has knocked," Ruthie told the phone.

**Knock. Knock.**

Shocked, Ruthie dropped her jaw.

**Knock. Knock.**

Frightened, Ruthie hoped whoever it was would go away.

**Knock. Knock.**

"Yes," Ruthie snapped, building a reserve of courage.

The door knob turned slightly, but seemed to be stuck. "The door's locked," a male voice reported.

Ruthie pushed herself off of her bed. She took a quick glance around her small room to look for any signs of Marguerite sleeping in her closet. After kicking Marguerite's jacket under her bed, she pushed back her hair and took a deep breath. Quietly, she opened the door to see a weary, handsome teenager who straddled the boarder between childhood and manhood.

"Yes, Steve."

Steve looked behind him as if someone was watching him. "Can we talk?" he whispered.

"Can it wait till morning?"

"I need to talk to you now. Sylvia's in trouble. Can I come in?"

Concerned, Ruthie motioned Steve to enter her room. "What happened?"

"Last night, after the concert all of us thought it would be cool to go a night club."

"Where did ya go?"

"The Viper Room."

"And?"

"Around three o' clock all of us were dancing."

"Who is 'all of us?'"

"I'd rather not say."

"Okay. . . you don't have to tell me, but God will always know."

"It was me, Sylvia, Allen, Tracy, and. . . Kathy."

"Go on."

"We were all dancing and this guy starts hitting on Sylvia. At first, I was pretty pissed and I was gonna tell him to leave her alone and that we were together, but Sylvia stopped me. We were seeing each other, y' know, but she didn't seem to remember me. She. . .she seemed to like him. They danced for a while then I looked the other way for a second and they were gone. I looked for her and asked around, but no one would tell me anything."

"And she never came back?" Ruthie asked, worried.

"I've been waiting for her all night. They finally threw me out."

"Do you remember what this man looks like?'

"A large black man. He had funky clothes," Steve explained.

"What kind of clothes?"

"A purple trenchcoat, Levi's shorts, and thongs."

"Weird hair?" Ruthie questioned him, dreading the answer.

""Yeah, dreadlocks."

"What?"

"Dreadlocks. Don't they have dreadlocks in Alabama?" Steve asked.

"Not in decent society."

"He was also wearing a chicken necklace."

"A chicken necklace?" Ruthie asked.

"Yeah, it was a chicken's foot. Real weird. Sylvia didn't even care. What are we gonna do? Who knows what kind of shit she could be getting into."

"I believe I know who this person is."

"You know him?" Steve asked in shock.

"Yes, I do. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Kind of. . ."

"Do ya think he goes to this club regularly?"

"It looked like it."

"Don't worry, honey. I believe I know how ta find her."

"How?"

"You'll have to have faith."

"Can't you tell me?"

"No, but have faith in God for as it says in the book of Romans, 'If God is with us, who can stand against us?'"

"I know. . .I know, I'm just worried."

"Go to your room and pray for Sylvia and yourself. I'll talk to someone I know who can help. Don't try anything. If ya do, ya could kill her. Do ya understand?"

"No, but I'm desperate. I'll do anything I can to help."

"You can help best my minding me, ya hear?"

Steve nodded. Ruthie knew that the wild woman sleeping her closet was the key to Slyvia's release and wanted to shield him as much as possible from the world of shadows.

**The Five led the children out of Egypt on the Highway West. It was a holy quest. In the distance they could see the Tabernacle of God. Although the bright sun distorted her vision, she knew that Marguerite was one of the Five. In the distance, a prophet greeted them. **

**Ring! Ring! Ring!**

By the time Ruthie shut her alarm off, she realized that she was no longer dreaming. After wiping the sleep out of her eyes, she looked at the clock; _4:30 p.m_. Figuring that it would be at least three or four hours before the sun set, Ruthie decided she would put the time to good use.

After showering, getting dressed, and eating a small snack, Ruthie found the phone book in the kitchen. After looking up the number for the Viper Room and hoping no one would walk in on her, Ruthie dialed it and waited.

"Viper Room, how can I help you?" The voice was cheerful, polite, and feminine.

"I'm afraid I can't find a friend of mine, could you help me?" Ruthie asked in her best southern accent.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I can't remember his name."

"If you could describe him, I might be able to help you."

"He's a beautiful black man with dead locks. He wears the coolest clothes."

Pause. Ruthie wandered if she asked too much. "Do you mean dreadlocks?" the voice asked sarcastically

"Oh yes, of course."

"What do you want with him?"

"He and I met last night and I'm supposed to find him for. . .business and I don't seem to remember his name or where he lives."

"Oh, you mean Murphy?"

"Yes. I remember now."

"He comes in every night, I can't give you anymore information than that."

"Then he'll be there tonight?"

"Yes, but tonight is a private party and I'm afraid you have to have a special invitation to get in."

"Thank you very much."

"Thank you for calling The Viper Room."

Ruthie slammed the phone down. "Lord how am I supposed to help this girl, if you aren't going to help me?"

Ruthie returned to her bedroom and sat down on her unmade bed. "I'm sorry Lord, I just don't know what to do!"

What were they? Demons? No, the girl was wearing a cross. If not demons, then what? Did she really make Murphy leave, or was it the police? How did Iron John know about Steve? Or Sylvia? How did he know about Marguerite? Did he know what she was? What that a dream? Or a vison? To find answers, Ruthie searched her blood smeared bible.

An hour after the sun set, Marguerite unzipped Ruthie's sleeping bag and slid out of it. "Girl, you are a mess." Ruthie declared. "Give me those clothes and you go take a shower."

"What if someone sees me?"

"It's almost time for dinner, we always eat late in the summer time. It gives the kids a chance to play outside longer, since Sister Bertha doesn't allow the younger ones out at night. When it starts, everyone will be at the dinner table. I already told Sister Mary Bertha that a friend of mine was visiting."

"She still here?"

"Yes she is. I'm going to dinner, do ya want something to eat?"

"Nothing you can give me."

"Now shower, cause we have to talk."

When Marguerite finished washing the blood, sweat, and grime off her body, she dried off and found a robe waiting for her. She wrapped the robe around her body and returned to Ruthie's room. She could hear everyone at the dinner table. From eight o'clock to nine o'clock, Sister Bertha insisted that everyone be at the dinner table who was going to eat that night. As a result, no one saw Marguerite.

When dinner was over, Ruthie returned to her room. "I would have told Sister Bertha your name, but we haven't been introduced."

"Marguerite Sanchez. It's just as well. Big Bertha doesn't like me."

"Have ya stayed here before?"

"About three years ago and you haven't told me your name."

"Ruthie Jones."

"Thanks for hiding me last night."

"Save your thanks until I find out what's going on," Ruthie said as she held her cross close.

"That doesn't really work."

"With the Lord as my Shepherd I shall not falter."

Marguerite forced herself to look away. The cross seemed to shine brighter. It was almost as though a bright light pierced her eyes. Her head felt light. "Are you of Satan?" Ruthie asked.

"No. Put that thing away!"

"You wear a cross yourself."

"Crosses never bothered me before. It was something about the way you held it."

"Then ya are a vampire!"

"What?"

"I saw your eyes turn red, and the claws. I saw how you did not bleed when you were struck. I saw the way you looked at the blood, like you were going to drink it off the street. And the Lord has said that 'any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people.'"

"That's crazy. I don't know what you're talking about," Marguerite lied.

"You can lie to me but you can not lie to God."

"Okay, fine! I'm a vampire! Is that what you want to hear? I am the boogybat of the night."

"Why did you help me?" Ruthie asked.

"I don't know."

"Please, I have ta know," Ruthie insisted

"I felt sorry for you. I know what it's like to be pushed around."

"How can the spawn of Satan feel for a child of God?"

"I don't know what mountain you crawled down from girl, but this is the real world. I didn't ask for this. I didn't make a deal with the devil, so catch a clue."

"You saved my life and almost lost. . ."

"I know. . .and you've thanked me so now I'll be on my way."

"I want to help you. Give up your evil ways."

"You can't help me and I have to leave soon."

"Why?"

"I can feel the hunger. The fight last night drainned most of my blood, I'm already really weak. If I get too weak, the nearest body becomes dinner."

"I can fix you something downstairs. What do you like?"

_"I'm a vampire what do you think I eat?"_

"I don't know what I think. I never believed in vampires before, but now. . .O' Lord, and Sylvia is missing."

"Sylvia. Sylvia Taylor?"

"How do you know her name?" Ruthie asked.

"She was a friend when I lived here."

"You look maybe a year older than her."

"How old is she now?" Ruthie asked.

"Sixteen."

"That's about right. What happened?"

"That black man you were fighting with kidnapped her at the Viper Room."

"When?"

"Last night."

"Shit! I have to follow him before it's too late," Marguerite cursed.

"We have to follow him."

Marguerite's eyes turned scarlet. _"Look at me. Murphy is of the Blood, you don't stand a chance against him."_

"I have to help."

"We can talk after I hunt."

"Hunt?"

_"I need blood."_

"The club is having a private party."

"I know. . .a costume party. I was invited."

"By whom?"

_"Murphy."_

Marguerite walked over to the window and looked for her van. "Shit! My van!"

"The police impounded it."

Marguerite's eyes turned normal. "Do you have a car?"

"Yes. I'll take ya."

"I'm the spawn of Satan, remember?" Marguerite ask sarcastically.

"You're trying to help. I can see that. And I have my own reasons for helping ya, but why do ya want to help Sylvia?" Ruthie asked.

Marguerite's eyes glowed scarlet. "I don't want her to be like this."

"What do ya mean?"

Marguerite's eyes returned to normal. "I lived here for all my life. I know what it's like to have no parents. I don't know what you think of Big Bertha, but she was the megabitch when I lived here. The only way I could get away was to hide from her. The only one who showed any kindness was a nun named Sister Agatha. She left when I was ten. Got married. Had a baby. Forgot I existed. When I was eighteen, I couldn't wait to get the Hell out of Dodge. So I used the money I saved up and bought my van and drove off. I got as far as New Orleans."

"I always wanted to go to Mardi Gras. I wanted to see the sights, but instead I saw this." Marguerite said showing her fangs.

"I was watching the parade when my Lord showed up. He was a lot like Murphy, even had the same kind of necklace. He wanted to take a walk with me, but I told him to take a hike. He found me later and turned me into this. So I am not the spawn of Satan."

Ruthie winced from the story. "You poor girl," she said as she moved to hug Marguerite.

_"Don't get close to me, I'm hungry and in the mood for southern food."_

"When you. . .feed does it hurt?"

"The victim you mean?"

"Yeah. Does it hurt?"

"No, some even like it."

"Do you kill. . . .?"

"No, I only take a little. What I need."

"Clubs don't open and get started until around nine o'clock."

"How do you know?" Marguerite asked, surprised.

"The children here have been asking to go to them."

"Oh."

"Could you feed from me and then we could go?"

"You'd feel weak."

"How long?"

"An hour or two."

Ruthie sat on her bed. "You are no more a sinner than I or anyone else. Romans 3:23. 'For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.'"

"I doubt that. What did you do, kill a fly?"

"I divorced my husband."

"That's all?"

"He made me do things. . . .did things to me. . . ."

Marguerite placed her hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to say anything."

"What will they do to Sylvia?" Ruthie asked.

"The Truth?"

"Yeah."

"Either drain her or Assimilate her."

"Turn her into a vampire?"

"Not something I would recommend, because normally, when a vampire is created, it's a virtual slave to its Lord," the vampire revealed.

"That didn't happen to you?"

"No, I don't even know why," the vampire admitted.

"Why did you come back?"

"No reason, just wanted to."

"Why did you come back?" Ruthie asked, insisting for an answer.

"Can you believe bad dreams?"

"About Sister Mary's?" Ruthie asked, surprised.

"Yeah."

"About a highway going west?" Ruthie added.

"And five people leading the way! How did you know?"

"I've had the same dream."

"There's something in the air. I don't like it."

"I don't either. Without blood, will you be able to save Sylvia?" Ruthie questioned the vampire.

"I couldn't even get in the front door."

"I'll give you some of my blood."

"Are you sure?"

Ruthie lay back on the bed. She closed her eyes. "Yes."

Marguerite gently approached Ruthie. Her fangs gleamed in the soft light. She brought her face to Ruthie's neck. Before biting, Marguerite sniffed for the exact spot. Gently, Marguerite kissed the neck jolting Ruthie. The last female kiss she had received was from the red-haired waitress before she divorced Keith. "Forgive me," Marguerite whispered.

Quickly, Marguerite bit into Ruthie. Ruthie felt a slight prick then pleasure as Marguerite sucked the blood from the wound. This sharing thrilled Ruthie more than she expected. She had never been close like this with Keith. This wasn't about one dominating over the other, power, or kicks, but sharing. Ruthie could feel Marguerite's heartbeat as she sucked life from her veins. Instead of hurting her, Marguerite gave her pleasure in a different way.

Instead of being invaded, like sex with Keith, Ruthie became the invader and pierced Marguerite. A wave of orgasmic pleasure washed over Ruthie as Marguerite licked the wound sealing it closed. Ruthie opened her eyes gently and smiled at Marguerite. "Thank you." Marguerite whispered, "Now we'll find Sylvia."


	2. Chapter 2

The Highway West Andrew 62

Chapter Two: American Gothic

_"This is a very dangerous and uncertain world."_

_-John Fitzgerald Kennedy._

_I'm waiting for the Angels of Avalon, waiting for the eastern sun._

_-Led Zeppelin, The Battle of Evermore_

The first time Cassie Byron realized that she would never look like the other little girls her age, she cut off the heads of all her Barbie Dolls. Her parents never recovered.

Smiling, Cassie parked her black Moped next to St. Elmo's Cemetery. If her parents knew where she spent her Saturday nights, they would strap her into a straitjacket and ship her to the nearest asylum until she was thirty. "Damn!" Cassie cursed, glancing at her watch.

It was 12:22 am and she was late again. Across the deserted road was an old white 1976 Chevy pickup. That meant Rice and Barker were waiting. Attempting to be silent, Cassie slipped open the colossal rusted gate to the cemetery. Unlike many cemeteries, St. Elmo's never locked its gates. It had been too many years since anyone important had been buried here and no one cared except Cassie and her friends, or so she believed.

Several old style tombstones dominated the landscape. Twin statues of the Virgin Mary welcomed visitors with open arms. Dry yellow grass covered her feet as she walked into the gloom of the cemetery. The sound of giggles and laughter in the distance tickled her ears.

Somewhere amid the shadows and the flickering illumination of the full moon, a pair of eyes watched her enter his cemetery. Observing her stumble over a rock in the path caused him to chuckle. With her elegant tight shoes and heavy backpack, Cassie struggled along the path in the murky night.

Cassie's long, straight hair used to be chestnut brown, but she recently dyed it jet black. Her eyes were usually blue, but sometimes seemed light green depending upon what she was wearing or her mood. She wore a long, black lace dress that contrasted her soft, white skin. Although she was five foot five, she weighed about a hundred and eighty pounds and people thoroughly enjoyed reminding of it.

Keeping next to the wall, Cassie spied vague shapes dancing menacingly near a covered light source. Delighted, she continued her trek. On the other side of the large adobe wall, she detected the rhythmic beat of footsteps. Massive footsteps that sounded like an elephant. Pausing for a moment, she thought she hear sweet whistling that reminded her of a whale song. Closing her eyes, Cassie allowed the spiritual serenade to overwhelm her. The whistling merged with a rich, deep voice.

_"Walking across Egypt, no shelter from the sun. My journey has no stopping place. My journey's far from done. Walking with Jesus, I shall not stop to rest. My faith I set before me, and my journey shall be blest,_"

Although she had never heard this song, Cassie knew the rich voice in her heart; it washed over her like a flashflood then faded like a treasured dream. Keeping her eyes closed, Cassie hoped to capture the song like a sleeper trying to reclaim a disrupted dream. Realizing her goal wad futile, Cassie joined her friends.

"Did you guys hear that?" Cassie questioned them.

"What?" Barker asked.

"The whistling!"

"That's the Whistling Dude," Rice answered.

"Who?"

"The Whistling Dude. You know," Rice said.

"I don't think so."

"Someone I don't know about?" Barker said sarcastically with a laugh.

"Tell us about him," Kat pleaded. Barker sighed.

The lantern that Rice borrowed from his dad barely lit the small area. Kat straddled the large tombstone, smoking her cigarette. Although her hair was once long and blonde, Kat shaved the left half of her head and dyed the other side jet black.

Rice and Barker sat on a sleeping bag spread out like a blanket. Rice was tall, lanky, and pale skinned. He shaved his black hair on one side and let the rest grow long. Barker looked as though he were a Nazi propaganda poster-boy with exquisite blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes.

"Thrill me," Cassie muttered, sitting next to Rice. Her long black lace dress merged with the shadows so that all that could be seen was her milky white skin.

"I've heard a lot about the Whistling Dude, but I've only seen him once. He likes to walk around as though he's looking for something. He's huge, like he's a body builder or something. . . .only it's not from working out in a gym. It's almost like he's larger than life. His skin is dark black and in the sun it shines so bright it could blind you. I would have been afraid if it wasn't for his big dopey smile." Rice said.

"I've heard he's okay," Kat agreed.

"Did your dad give you any problems?" Kat asked Cassie, quickly getting bored with the subject.

"A little," Cassie admitted. "He's starting to wonder where I go. Wouldn't be surprised if he followed me."

Rice chuckled. "At least he stopped buying those diet shakes."

Cassie put her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. Kat and Barker snickered wickedly. "Did I tell you guys about the biology experiment I had to do yesterday?" Rice asked. The others nodded no. "We dyed a chicken blue and released her in a cage full of other chickens. At first the others just left her alone, but when she tried to eat the others attacked her and pecked the life out of her. It was strange. . .like a dream or an old episode of the Twilight Zone."

"Cool," Kat laughed.

"Speaking of dreams, you still having yours, Cassie?" Barker asked.

"I'm starting to remember them a little more," Cassie answered.

"What are they like?" Rice asked.

"Weird shit. I'm walking down a highway with friends. . .only they're not you guys. The highway twists like a snake. I can't. . .explain it yet," Cassie tried to answer.

"Hmmm. A road that twists like a snake. You need to get laid," Kat declared.

"I think her dreams are cool," Rice defended Cassie.

Barker frowned. "Your dream signifies change. The snake represents the darkness that's coming."

A moment of silence threatened to kill the joy until Rice burst into a loud, obnoxious laughter. The others, except Barker, joined him.

"When's Steve getting here?" Cassie asked hopefully.

"He's not coming tonight," Rice answered.

"WHAT?" Cassie cried, upset.

"He got tickets to see a concert," Barker explained.

"What concert?" Cassie inquired.

"I don't know. A bunch of screaming, sweating boys. Damn I wish he asked me to go!" Rice said sarcastically in his best fag voice.

"Besides, he's too busy screwing Sylvia to bother with us," Kat added.

"That asshole!" Cassie muttered

"What's your damage?" Kat sneered.

"Nothing. He just promised me he would go," Cassie explained, trying to save face.

"You know you might as well move on, Sylvia already had her hooks in him. We might as well have his funeral tonight. Besides, he was never that interested in you to begin with," Kat told Cassie.

"Did you bring film for the camera?" Rice asked, trying to defuse the situation.

"Yeah, I also bought that night flash. Don't know how well its going to work," Cassie answered as she dug through her backpack.

"Great!" Rice exclaimed, he had been waiting for this all week.

"Yeah, thrill me. Give me a few minutes to setup," Cassie told them as she turned away from them and towards the light. She almost started to cry. She knew with the same certainly that she would have her period in the next few days that Steve would never be hers.

While Kat, Barker, and Rice debated whether or not Becky was a slut, Cassie looked past them and tried to remember the Whistling Dude's song. Feeling her nipples get hard from the cold, she wrapped herself in Barker's brown leather jacket. Glancing past Kat, Cassie could see a small, brilliant flash of blue.

"Did you see that?" Cassie asked.

"What?" Kat asked.

"See what?" Rice questioned her.

"The blue light. . .over there."

"Girlfriend, have you been smoking something we don't know about?" Rice mocked.

"No. I'm telling you, I saw something over there," Cassie said.

"We were all looking that way, we would have seen it too," Kat said.

"Just relax a little," Barker said with an uneasy chuckle.

Cassie shrugged off Barker's jacket, stood up, and adjusted her dress. "I'll go over by myself then," she said.

"Scream if you see the bogeyman," Kat mocked her.

"Please be careful," Barker whispered.

Cassie knew this gave Kat the perfect opportunity to trash her behind her back, but she no longer cared. She had seen a blue flash and no one was going to tell her otherwise. After walking past the tall gothic statues, she found a clear, worn path that led to the other side of the cemetery. Each step she took crunched through the dried leaves and grass.

After passing several stone angels, tombstones, and an old mausoleum, Cassie reached the wall of the other side of the cemetery and found nothing. Disheartened, Cassie sighed and sat on a tombstone shaking her head at herself.

_"She walks in beauty like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; and all that's best of dark and light."_

Scared, Cassie jumped off the tombstone and looked around. "Okay. Ha! Ha! Come on out so I can see you."

"Are you sure?" the voice asked.

"Thrill me."

A thin blue steak of light shot out from the shadows. Dazzled, she thought it might be a laser beam. The streak of light circled Cassie a few times. Frightened, Cassie swiped her hand at it. The streak dodged her clumsy blow then disappeared.

The small sphere of blue light rested on top of the tombstone waiting for Cassie. Squinting her eyes, Cassie detected a vague shape inside of the tiny ball of light. Slowly the sphere dimmed and a small figure about five inches tall appeared. "Hello," he greeted her.

"Hi," Cassie said nervously.

With a burst of blue energy, the small figure became a handsome fifteen year old boy. He was tall, skinny, and naked. His blond hair was long and shaggy. Like Cassie, his eyes alternated between blue and light green depending on the light.

"Hello, I'm Ariel," the boy said with a laugh.

Although the boy appeared to be a few years younger, Cassie found him attractive. He might have passed for a cherub if it were not for the devilish smile dancing on his lips. Trying not to be obvious, Cassie looked away from his face and began to stare at his penis.

She had never seen a real one before. Once she found a Playboy magazine of her father's, but then penises seemed a foreign concept. It was not like she imagined. Instead of being large and erect, the penis was small, soft, and limp. Cassie tore her eyes away from his penis to notice that he was watching her watch his penis. Embarrassed, she looked away.

"Aren't you cold, or something?" Cassie asked.

"Yes, isn't it wonderful, Cassie?" the boy said as he hopped off the tombstone and took a deep breath.

"How did you know my name?" Cassie asked.

"Oh, I'm your uncle. Not the uncle that's married to your aunt. I'm the one that's supposed to bring you in."

"Bringing me in?"

"To Avalon."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"You saw the light! Didn't you?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"So! That means you're one of us," Ariel explained.

"What are you?" Cassie asked.

"We have been called many names over the centuries. . .messengers, spirits, the Fay, goblins, guides. . ."

"You're an angel!" Cassie cried.

"And so are you. The term I most prefer is fairy."

"Okay, so then you're a fairy, but not from San Francisco."

"From where?"

"Sorry, I'm nervous. I've never met an angel. . .fairy."

"That's okay. I'm here to teach you and bring you back to Avalon."

"Avalon? You mean Heaven?"

"No. The place you know as Heaven is a long journey. Avalon is our home through the Dreamweb," Ariel answered.

"I'm afraid you made a mistake. Fairies are supposed to be happy all of the time, I'm not the happy sappy type."

"That is interesting. You do not seem the type, but then you did see the light and the light never lies."

"The blue light?" Cassie asked.

"Fairy magic...only true fairies can see it," Ariel explained.

"Also, aren't fairies supposed to be thin?"

"Most are, but the lucky ones aren't"

"The lucky ones?"

"In Avalon, you would be one of the most beautiful in all of the land."

"Because I'm fat? Where is this place?"

Ariel pointed at the moon. "Inside there in the Dreamweb!" he told her.

"Ha! Now I know they drugged me," Cassie laughed.

"Trust me. Have you ever been sick?"

"Not that I remember."

"Have you ever hurt yourself for a really long time?"

Cassie thought for a few seconds. "I once thought I broke my arm, but when we got to the hospital it was perfectly okay, just a little sore."

"You are one of us, you just don't know it. Throw off your dress and dance with me!"

"Not likely."

"Why are you angry?"

"Look, maybe in Avalon fat people are beautiful, but here they're ugly. I don't want to turn anyone into stone."

"Ha! You're a fairy not a gorgon!" Ariel giggled.

"That's not what I meant!"

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's not that I don't want to, I can't."

"Okay, can I show you?" Ariel asked.

"Show me?"

"Yes. Mindspeak to you."

"Mindspeak?"

**YES. MINDSPEAK TO YOU.**

"How did you do that?"

**ALL FAIRIES HAVE THIS ABILITY AND MANY OTHERS. DO YOU WANT TO LEARN? I CAN SHOW YOU.**

Born into a rational world, Cassie craved something she couldn't quite identify. It was almost as though she had lost her capacity to worship and tried to buy it back through her fantasy novels. Somewhere inside her, a voice told her what to do. A voice told her this was her chance, maybe her only chance to achieve that dark wisdom. Maybe this was her chance to explore a world she had always wished existed. Bursting through the iron wall of rationalism, she knew there was no turning back.

"How?" she asked.

**YOUR BLOOD IS FAIRYFOLK BLOOD. YOU CARRY US INSIDE YOU. YOU CARRY OUR HISTORY INSIDE YOU. I CAN AWAKEN YOUR MEMORIES.**

**YOU MAY FEEL STRANGE AT FIRST. IT WILL BE YOUR MIND ADJUSTING TO YOUR BODY. THE WORLD HAS TOLD YOU WHAT IS POSSIBLE, YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO BELIEVE.**

Scared, Cassie knew she could never be the same again. The thought thrilled and frightened her. "Yes," Cassie said weakly, "do it."

Slumbering synapses deep inside her brain awoke like a sleeping volcano. The world seemed dark as she struggled to filter the important memories through her mind.

_Thousands of dancing fairies circled the giant mushroom bonfire praising the starless night. Goblins gleefully slammed into each other to the beat of loud booming drums. Fawns chased Nymphs across the open field, not for the kill but for the thrill of the chase. Brownies, sitting on the giant mushrooms, watched the fairies dance while drinking their homeb_rewed beer.

_A bold man with a beard knells next to the emerald throne. Oberion. Older than ancient or time or matter. One of the seven witnesses of creation. Enthralled to his niece and wife resting on the emerald throne. _

_Titania. Queen of the Fay. Daughter of the Dark One. Beautiful giantess with blue skin. Cassie knew this world; Avalon._

Her mind adjusted to her new status. She could feel herself flying through the air like Ariel had done. Cassie remembered the ancient lore of fairyfolk and their travels through the realms to reach Earth. She met the girl that she was and learned of the woman she was to become.

"It is so evil!" she cried.

**THE UNIVERSE IS NOT GOOD OR EVIL, BUT THINKING MAKES IT SO.**

"Then why are we living in such evil?" Cassie questioned him.

**YOU MEAN, WHY ARE THE MORTALS LIVING IN EVIL?**

"Yes."

**BECAUSE THEY CHOOSE TO.**

Angry, Cassie broke the mindlink. "Are you okay?" Ariel asked.

"No. You're telling me that everything. . . all of this is because mortals choose evil."

"Yes."

"Can't we change that?"

"Why would we? It is their choice."

"How can it be their choice? Have you seen the world?" Cassie asked.

"The last time I really explored this world was a few hundred years ago. I was the Uncle for a wonderful fairy named Will. He writes the most astounding plays. Of course I pretended to be a mortal so I wouldn't scare anyone. It took him a while, but he eventually joined us in Avalon. He used to think like you saying that we should help the mortals so he tried to write plays that would change things. Every opening night all of Avalon would watch, usually invisible. I must have seen the one play with me in it about a thousand times. It's really quite good. When you come to Avalon, you should watch it."

_"The Tempest_, right? I've already seen it."

"Will realized that is it not the place of fairyfolk to change the mortals. Our task to continue the Awakening," Ariel explained.

"The Awakening?" Cassie asked.

"Each of the fairyfolk have kept the Awakening alive. We take the spirits of the age and imprint them in our hearts. The heroes that are remembered by the mortals are felt through the Dreamweb. Every fairy throughout time sends their dreams through the Dreamweb to the Awakening. In the last days, the last fairy is supposed to take this Awakening and use it to give the universe a second chance. Until then, we have to wait and dream."

"The world has changed in the last four hundred years, can't we help it?"

"The more things change the more they stay the same. Many of us thought as you do now. We tried to change the world."

"What happened?" Cassie asked.

"We caused holy civil wars within the Children of the Celestial Father over different methods of worship. Some of us. . .changed," Ariel explained.

"Changed? I don't understand. What happened?"

"One of us was steward of the mortal realm. He was not prepared for the free will of humanity. Jealous, the Dark One tried to crush them. The Celestial Father erected the Great Barrier to protect earth from him. The followers of the Dark One changed. They became warped by their nefarious nature," Ariel explained.

"You don't mean God, do you?"

"The Celestial Father has been called by many different names. Allah, Yaweiah, the Great Spirit and about a thousand others."

"And that means that the Dark One is. . ."

"Satan. . .the Trickster. . .Lucifer. . .and sometimes shithead. We prefer to call him the Dark One."

"How can this wall protect earth from the Dark One?"

"The Great Barrier, through the Dreamweb, is fueled by the hopes and dreams of humanity. As long as the Great Barrier is intact, the Dark One can not return to earth."

"What about Titania? She's the Dark One's daughter."

"That is. . .a matter of great concern for us. There are some. . .who oppose her rule and want Oberion restored. As long she continues the tithe, none can touch her for if they do the Great Barrier will shatter," Ariel said sadly.

"Tithe?"

"Titania surrenders the soul of a single mortal every seven years."

"How evil!"

"Yes, but as long as she has the power of the Dreamweb there is nothing that can be done."

"You've mentioned this Dreamweb a few times. What is it?"

"It is the spiritual manifestation of the dreams of humanity. Our home is there. If you decide to come with me, I will show you sights unlike any other."

"I don't have to go with you?" Cassie asked.

"Of course not. We would love to have you, especially now."

"I don't get it."

"You are the only fairy born in this century."

"If I am a fairy then why wasn't I born in Avalon?" Cassie asked.

Ariel's face turned solemn. "That's not the way we do things. A fairy can not mate with another fairy and have children. It's forbidden."

"Why not?"

"Fairies need human blood to remain sane. The result of a pure fairy child is always an imp?"

"An imp? What's that?" Cassie asked.

Ariel's face danced between fear and disgust. "Imps are an insane abomination!"

"Why would a pure fairy child become an imp?"

It has something to do with our healing abilities. You'll find that almost nothing can hurt you."

"Almost? I take it that we're not invulnerable."

"Only cold iron and nefarious magic can harm us," Ariel explained.

"So who are my parents?"

"The woman that you believe to be your mother is actually your mother. However, the man you knew as your father is not your father. A friend of mine had to see Earth again, so he left and found the New World exciting. Your parents were married and happy, or as happy as mortals try to become. When my friend saw your mother, her beauty caught hold of him and he took the form of the man you think is your father and made love with her. Nine months later a healthy baby girl was born," Ariel revealed.

"You speak well for someone out of touch for the last few centuries."

"I learned the current adaptation of English while Mindspeaking to an interesting mortal. What was the name of his profession? Oh yes, I do believe he was a lawyer. Anyhow, it took a while to find you. I didn't expect that your family would have moved so many times or I would have kept a better eye on you."

"People. . . mortals, do that now. It is our way."

"Will you not come with me?" Ariel asked.

"And leave my friends, school, my life. . . .I can't"

"You know the true way home."

"Yeah. I'm starting to remember more about the mindlink. Old memories are starting to emerge."

"What do you remember?" Ariel asked.

"I remember Avalon and the great trek to reach it. I remember all of the tribes of. . ."

"Sarazin. She was the first wife of Oberon," Ariel added.

"Yes. . .Sarazin. She gathered the tribes from Morgana le Faye. Morgana trapped them in stone and in trees. She hated the fairyfolk for helping her brother, Arthur. Only she tricked them. She created tree spirits. . ."

"Dryads," Ariel explained.

"Dryads made them sleep, but Morgana failed to consider their dreams. Sarazin dreamed of the river Alpheus that ran through measureless caverns to man down by the sea. Up the river she flew, entering into a whole new world; _Xanadu_." Cassie continued.

"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure dome decree," Ariel said as though reciting a long forgotten poem.

"I have heard that, before the mindlink," Cassie said.

"_Kubla Khan_ by Samuel Coleridge," Ariel told her.

"Was he a fairy too?"

"No. No. He dreamed of Xanadu. He traveled up the river Alpheus just as Sarazin did," Ariel explained.

"Sarazin entered the Dreamweb. She discovered the universe is an onion. Each time she peeled off a layer of fabric from the universe, she discovered a deeper level of existence. Through it all, Titania felt as though someone called her. She dreamed of Xanadu and he spoke to her."

"The guardian" he added.

"That is not his name. He has had many. He cheered Hitler fell. He cried when the bomb was dropped in Hiroshima. He helped free the slaves," Cassie revealed.

"How do you know?" Ariel inquired.

"I remember him showing Sarazin. Don't you?" Cassie asked.

"Because we are all so different, we remember different memories. Time does not work the same in Xanadu."

"He showed her the way. . . the way to Avalon."

"You know. . ."

Cassie paused for a moment. Her mind felt tired, even though her body remained fresh. Exhausted, she rubbed her eyes to snap out of the trance.

"Do not try to remember too much. It will come slowly."

"I remember so much. . ." Cassie tried to explain.

"Does it help?"

"No. So many choices. . .so many memories."

"You have to focus on certain aspects or you'll drown in a sea of memories."

"The memories showed me everything. How to fly. How to change. How to find Avalon. . ." Cassie muttered more to herself than Ariel.

"Did they show you how to forgive yourself?" Ariel asked innocently.

"What?"

"I felt you. . .felt your anger and hatred," Ariel explained.

"And who am I supposed to hate?" Cassie asked angrily.

"Yourself."

Cassie wept. Turning away from Ariel, she hid her eyes in her hair. "Fuck you, you little prick!"

"It is true. Let go. The universe is not good or evil, but thinking makes it so."

"Thinking didn't give me this!" Cassie told him as she gestured at her body.

"No. I'm not saying that life is perfect. It's not. Come with me, we will love you. Every male in Avalon will be chasing you within the hour."

"I can't. . ." Cassie told him, "I can't leave Mom. . .my friends."

Ariel responded by hugging her. "I am sorry that you hurt so much. I can see why you chose to stay."

It felt weird for Cassie to hug this naked boy almost her own age. "I want to. I really do."

"I know. You can't be happy in Avalon. Not yet."

"Will you be there when I do come?"

"Perhaps. There is a storm coming. I was hoping that we could shelter you in Avalon. But perhaps that was a mistake. I only hope that the storm doesn't take you with it."

"I'll be fine. Promise. Will we see each other again?"

Ariel smiled. "Of course. We're fairies. We live forever. I will return when you can answer the most important question of them all."

"And that is?"

"Who are you?"

Ariel gently stroked Cassie's cheek and then kissed her lips. Inside, Cassie giggled. Her first kiss and it was from a fairy with the body of a fifteen year old. Slowly she responded. It seemed as though it would never end. She could feel his body hunger for hers. To her surprise, he wanted her and she could feel it. Before she could act, Ariel drew away from her.

"When you stop hurting, come to us. We will love you. I will love you." Cassie opened her mouth to speak, but Ariel placed his finger on her lips, motioning her to be silent. Bowing, Ariel transformed into the thin, blue globe of light. Wildly, he circled around Cassie a few times. "Watch me go home!"

Cassie nodded, concentrated, and saw the world for what seemed to her the first time; she opened her Fairy Eyes. It was like stumbling around in a dark room, searching for light, seeing only vague shapes, and then seeing the world in three dimensional color. Although the darkness blocked her normal vision, her Fairy Eyes felt the energies of the universe. She could see threads of magic connected across the universe.

When Ariel shifted into the void, Cassie's Fairy Eyes followed. The desolate universe glowed with the single ray of thin blue light. Once this universe belonged to the Dreamweb. Its fuel burned in the hopes, dreams, and love of mortals. Morgana le Faye pierced this realm with her Nightmares. The Nightmares slowly sucked the energy from this universe by Morgana, which gave her the power to strike at Merlin, her ancient enemy.

Cassie wandered if Merlin was the same Merlin from the King Arthur legends. She decided she would have to look those legends up at the library. Feeling their universe dying, the fairyfolk traveled to Earth, leaving behind a black void. To seal the void, Titania made the pact with her father, the Dark One.

Ariel shifted to the Dreamweb. Ghost images and icons floated past him. Cassie swore that one of them was Elvis. Flying across the river Alpheus, Ariel bounced dimensions until she reached Avalon.

The voice followed her. It was the Whispering Dude. "You are welcomed into the fold daughter of Oberon, daughter of Eve. The time has come for you to join the army of light. Ariel was correct. There is a darkness coming. A darkness the like of which the world has never seen. Soon, it will be time for the gathering. There you will meet your new allies; your new family."

"I don't understand."

Silence. She called to the voice, but it failed to respond.

Frightened, she shifted her Fairy Eyes towards Barker, Rice, and Kat. Kat remained straddled between jealousy and lust. She loved Rice. She wanted Rice, who loved Baker. Rice drifted in a stream of content, surrounded by the loving arms of Barker. Barker remained a mystery. She could sense his form via his connection to Rice, but his energy, his soul, his life were transparent. Either Cassie had not yet learned to control her Fairy Eyes or Baker was not as he appeared.

Out of the corner of her Fairy Eyes, Cassie detected another presence. Curious, she expanded her vision until she could see the entire cemetery. Two additional souls prowled the cemetery. Neither were human.

Cassie concentrated on the presence close to her friends. Although he hid in the shadows, Cassie could see his aura as if he was standing in front of her. She could feel a wealth of emotions that her friends lacked. He liked watching her friends. It chased away his loneliness. He wanted to jump out and join the party, but he felt shame. Each layer she peeled away lead to another layer of depth. This cemetery was his home and he loved company. He would never allow himself to hurt anyone. Yes, Cassie was certain that he meant no harm, and even wanted friendship. Although Cassie could not tell more than his current mood, she knew she had much in common with this person. Not wanting to invade his privacy any further, Cassie shifted to the other presence.

The wild emotions hit her like a runaway truck. Anger. Dark Hunger. Waiting to strike, he watched the watcher. To Cassie, he felt more like an animal than anything human. Slowly, he stalked towards the other presence. She could feel him sniff the wind and catch the other soul's scent. His mouth watered at the thought of the hunt. Deeper and deeper she pried until all that she could find was the emptiness. Using all of her will, she forced herself to close her Fairy Eyes.

Should she warn the watcher? Although she could not be certain, she felt she could trust him. It was as though they were meant to be friends. Two people so much alike had to be friends. . .or enemies. Either way, she knew the other was evil.

**DANGER! HE IS AFTER YOU! **

Thoughtfully, the watcher crept closer to the Gothics. Remaining unseen, the creature named Caliban listened to them with great interest.

"What's her damage anyway?" Kat asked.

"I don't know," Rice snapped.

"Steve's not here."

"Did you hear that?" Kat asked.

"No. Now you're doing it!" Rice barked.

Although Rice missed the sound, the watcher heard it. Although he knew Cassie was wandering around the cemetery, she had to come back along the north path. This sound came from the south path, near the main gate.

**DANGER! HE IS AFTER YOU!**

Focusing, Caliban sensed the intruder. Although he literally owned the cemetery, his proprietorship of this holy place reached far beyond logic. He knew every inch of his home. If it were not for the fact that he was watching the kids so intently, he would have caught the intruder instantly. The telepath sounded like Cassie, but he could not be sure. In his brief time as a Fallen, Caliban had seen many strange creatures. Nothing surprised him anymore.

The intruder was supernatural and a hunter and a killer. He had the patience of a Zen spider waiting for the perfect time to attack. Glancing back towards the Goths, Caliban was relieved to see that the noise had frightened them. Rice and Barker were helping Kat over the wall. His top priority had to be protecting the Goths. Quietly, he placed himself between them and the hunter.

**THE NOISES YOU'VE BEEN HEARING ARE ILLUSIONS I'VE CREATED TO SCARE THE GOTHS OUT OF THE CEMETERY!**

Recalling her racial memories, Cassie reached inside her soul. Releasing an exact pattern of powerful thoughts, she shrank into an ocean of clothing. Climbing out of her dress, she discovered that she was five inches tall. The part of her that loved irony laughed. She had always wanted to lose weight. Although her size was dramatically smaller, her proportions were exactly the same. The only difference Cassie could notice was that the world seemed incredibly larger and slower. That was when she noticed her wings.

Powerful wings extended out of her back. Carefully, she flapped them a couple of times. It felt like growing another pair of arms. Flight reminded her of swimming. By motioning various aspects of her arms and legs, Cassie found that she could maneuver like a fish.

Enthralled by the flight, Cassie buzzed the Goths. Kat, still straddling the cemetery wall, screamed. Rice, unsure of what to do, tried climbing the wall to protect his friend. Barker smiled darkly and pushed both of them to the other side of the wall and casually climbed it.

Glad that the Goths escaped, Cassie turned her attention to the watcher. Within his mind, Cassie felt a pain akin to her own. Terrible loneliness. Unholy self hatred. She felt his concern for her friends. It was the other that worried her.

Her Fairy Eyes watched the hunter's aura swirl with shades of black and blood red. He was eager for the kill.

Once Barker hopped over the fence, Caliban stepped from the shadows. The light from the lantern reflected off his sickly white skin. Covered with hideous boils, Caliban wore a black leather trenchcoat and a fedora as a disguise to look more human. The only part of his flesh visible was his face.

His diseased looking skin pulled tightly on his face, giving the impression of a skull. His mouth was filled with sharp fangs designed for one purpose, tearing flesh. His eyes were red like a feral animal at midnight. It was a face that not even a mother could love.

"For almost an entire year I have lived here undisturbed. Now tonight, I have an intruder. Show yourself and we can talk about this like civilized adults. Perhaps you would like to sell me life insurance, yes?"

The wind howled softly as it caressed the trees and tombstones. "Or perhaps you are a spy? Yes. Yes, I can see the great advantage in that. I do important work here. I watch teenager frolic. I talk to the other corpses. Oh yes, the stories I could tell. "

The wind carried the scent of cheap cigarettes. Caliban smiled. Removing his fedora, Caliban bowed towards the shadows and the lit cigarette. Stepping into the light, the hunter took an additional drag of the cigarette and arrogantly rubbed it into a statue of Jesus carrying the cross.

He wore a black t-shirt with a picture of the Tasmanian Devil masturbating, jeans, and large black combat boots that were dirty after his hike through the cemetery. The hunter had long feral brown hair and light blue eyes. Stalking under a tree, the hunter had to duck slightly so that he did not bump his head on some of the lower branches. Smiling, the hunter waited for Caliban to act. His classic rugged good looks attracted many woman over the years. Caliban wondered how many women fell prey to the beauty before they met the beast.

"Hello, Mr. Morrison."

"Gideon says 'hello, Caliban,'" the hunter replied softly, still smiling.

"Please return the favor and extend my salutations as well."

"You lied to us."

"What? Me lie? I am a paragon of virtue."

"You promised that you would not take sides."

"Oh, yes. I confess. I have been slowly building power for the last five years. I only live in this cemetery as a alibi while MacDuff and Gideon fight it out for L. A. It has even occurred to me that I might want to take out the Shadow Lord."

"Your wit will not save you tonight. Gideon said that you have joined MacDuff."

"That bearded troll in a dress! Oh yes, I joined him a long time ago. Come now, you must know that I would rather boil my head in oil than even to speak his name."

"That is not my concern."

"Then what is your concern, Mr. Morrison."

"Gideon said that you will help MacDuff in the upcoming battle."

"Battle? What battle?"

"The Ascension War is beginning soon. L.A. is the first battleground. Gideon said that you are to join MacDuff."

"Yes. I am going to fight in the mythical Ascension War on a bearded troll's side so that I can determine who shall rule the world when the Great Barrier falls. The only thing I am going to fight is boredom as I continue to read through _A Prayer for Owen Meany._"

"I'm afraid we can't take that chance."

"So it comes to this? You would fight me so that I won't become your enemy later and fight against you. Yes. I can see the superior logic in this plan. "

"It doesn't matter. The boss gives the orders. I cut the throats."

"We do not have to fight," Caliban insisted.

_"Yea, we do,"_ Morrison growled, this time sounding like an animal.

Facial hair sprouted on Morrison's face. Bones broke and reformed. Muscles swelled in volume and mass. His bulging chest muscles ripped through his t-shirt and his legs split open his jeans. His hairy paws tore free from the combat boots. Thick curly brown hair enveloped his entire body. His face grew outwards like a wolf. His ears stretched, becoming canine. Powerful predator fangs grew from his mouth. Sharp claws grew from his fingers. The beast that Cassie sensed was released. Morrison became the Manwolf.

Morrison transformed in time to see Caliban's fist strike him in the face. The force of the impact knocked Morrison through a tombstone, landing flat onto his back. Blood splattered. Morrison quickly rolled to his feet and crouched in a defensive position. As Caliban turned to strike again, he noticed the wounds healing close._ "Not bad. But not good enough. I've always heard that the Fallen were wimps_," Morrison growled.

His voice shot through Caliban and Cassie like a someone scratching a chalkboard. Summoning his courage, Caliban hit Morrison again, knocking him flat. Shockingly, Morrison laughed. It was the bellow devoid of humanity. "Now_ it is my turn,"_ Morrison taunted.

Standing, Morrison smiled as the last of his wounds were healing, leaving a small bruise below his left eye. Like a cat, Morrison leapt onto Caliban gouging Caliban's stomach with both claws. Caliban, who had not felt physical pain in two years, screamed. Green slimy blood squirted from his intestines covering Morrison, who howled to the moon. Instinctually, Caliban swatted Morrison away, knocking him through another tombstone.

**ARE YOU HURT?**

Caliban might have laughed if he could breathe in the air. His bowels were exposed and she was asking if he was hurt. He could feel himself healing the wounds, but the Fallen did not heal nearly as fast as a werewolf. Morrison rose again and laughed. His body had completely healed. _"You may be strong, but I'm a killer, you are not,"_ Morrison mocked him.

"Hey, Wolfie!" a feminine voice shouted from above.

Morrison looked up to see a naked, normal sized Cassie falling towards him. His eyes opened wide with shock as all hundred and eighty pounds of Cassie struck him on the nose. Her impact broke his nose inward and snapped his neck. Morrison fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Cassie fell next to him, spraining one of her ankles.

"Shit!" Cassie screamed.

Cassie rolled over to see Morrison's nose reforming. Caliban grabbed under her shoulders and dragged her away from the recovering werewolf. Cassie shivered as his slimy hand touched her.

"Mr. Morrison will revive in a few moments Ms. Byron. I suggest that you change back into fairyform so that you can escape. Your ankle will not heal for several minutes and Mr. Morrison is not the forgiving type."

Nodding, Cassie changed into Fairy Form and flew towards Caliban's face. As long as she did not put weight on her ankles, she could ignore the pain.

"How do you know my name?"

"Does it matter, Ms. Byron? This is my grand home. Oh yes, I have watched all of you for some time and now is not the time for introductions or explanations."

"Okay, then let's get out of here!" Cassie exclaimed.

Morrison howled, praising the goddess of the hunt. "There is no time. Mr. Morrison is already revived."

Cassie shifted to her Fairy Eyes. She could see Morrison sniffing the wind in search of his prey.

**HE'S TRACKING US BY SCENT!**

"I know that fairyfolk can cast illusions. Can you cover our scent?"

**YES.**

"Do it!"

**HE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO SEE US!**

"Do it!"

Cassie's ability to produce illusions directly tied to her concentration. She could fool any one of the five senses. However, she could only fool one of these senses at a time. Once she practiced more, Cassie would be able to concentrate on more than one part of an illusion. At that moment, Cassie did not have much of a choice. She focused on changing their scent to the stench of dead grass. As far as Caliban could tell, their scent had been changed.

**IT'S DONE.**

"Good. Hold my hand!"

Cassie flew over to his hand and landed on it. It felt like sitting on a giant, slimy fish. She looked over to Caliban's face and nearly screamed. His ugliness was the terror of legends. Silently, he covered his mouth with his other hand.

**I GET THE IDEA, I'LL BE QUIET. **

Cassie could hear Morrison growl behind the bushes. Although Cassie tried to be quiet, she swore Morrison would hear her shaking.

**WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WE ARE STANDING OUT IN THE OPEN. HE'LL SEE US FOR SURE! **

Caliban shook his head.

Morrison entered the grove. He sniffed the air and crept past Caliban. Frightened, Cassie thought she would scream, but Morrison ignored them. Casually, Morrison knocked over a tombstone on his way through the grove. _"I will find you Caliban! And this time no one will save you!"_ he howled. It was a scream that both Cassie and Caliban would remember for the rest of their lives.

Resting on the Fallen's hand for almost a half an hour, Cassie opened her Fairy Eyes and scouted around the cemetery and detected nothing. Violently, she flew from Caliban's hand and stretched her arms in the air. "So what's the deal? Why didn't he see us?" she asked.

"My kind has the ability to remain Unseen. Yes. People choose not to see us. I have found that my kind have that effect on others. My scent often gives me away. I believe it is a strange cross of rotting eggs and fish. Oh yes, it is quite horrid. I'm quite tempted to have my nose removed. You were able to mask that so he could not detect us," Caliban reported.

"Wait here a second, okay?" Cassie asked.

Caliban agreed.

Cassie became a blue streak of light and disappeared. Two minutes later, a clothed human sized Cassie returned.

"I see that your ankles have healed nicely."

"Thanks. Hope you don't mind me asking, but who the Hell are you?" the young fairy asked.

"I do not think that you want to know."

"Thrill me."

"I am one of the Fallen," Caliban revealed.

"Okay. I just found out that I'm a fairy. I can live with that. I've heard about them. I've heard about vampires, werewolves, ghosts and even the boogieman, but I've never heard of the Fallen."

"I think it would be wise if we gather your belongings Ms. Byron and then talk in my home."

Caliban carried her Moped to his mausoleum, while Cassie gathered her purse and other items that Rice, Barker, and Kat left behind. Upon entering the mausoleum, Cassie smiled. It reminded her of her favorite horror movie.

The mausoleum was the size of a small house. Upon closer inspection, Cassie noticed several words were inscribed into the brick walls in Spanish. Fantastic artists had carved holy angels battling demons into the brick and stone. Caliban opened the door for Cassie and then motioned for her to enter. "What a time to be a gentleman," Cassie thought.

At first the stench nearly twisted her bowels, but then she transformed the scent to fresh roses. "This cemetery was built by the Spanish when they first explored the California coast. That was when this city was really the City of Angels," Caliban said as though he were an undead tour guide.

Caliban opened one of the crypts and crept inside. Cassie shivered and followed. Under the crypt was a large cavern. Lighting a lantern, Caliban revealed a huge room, decorated with hundreds of pictures of the Goths posing in the cemetery. A simple bed, desk, table, and a dozen bookshelves were scattered in a circular pattern around the room. Casually, Cassie scanned the books to find an eclectic collection ranging from _Something Wicked this Way Comes_ to the _Foundation of Western Political Thought. _

"Wow! You live down here?"

"Yes. It is the only place suitable for me."

"So what's your story?" Cassie asked as she lit one of Kat's cigarettes.

"Smoking is bad for you."

"After what I've been through? Ha! Give me a break! Start flapping your jaws!"

"I will tell you this, what I have not told anyone. My real name is Gary Ernest. Now I am known as Caliban."

"Why Caliban?"

"The ancient Greeks had a myth about a hunter named Caliban. This Caliban was the prince of the city-state. A powerful man. A man well loved. Everyone loved him even though he treated them like dirt. Caliban's only love was hunting. Caliban was sick. Yes. He would capture birds and pull off their wings. He had a wound, only it was inside and no one could see it."

"That's nothing like you. Hey, your wound is healing!"

"By morning, the wound will be gone. And yes, I am not that monster now, but I was. Caliban was such a monster that he dared to hunt the Pegasus. Now, the winged horses were the sacred animal of Zeus. On a night similar to this, Caliban killed the last of the Pegasus. Enraged, Zeus mutated Caliban until he was human and animal and monster, doomed to be hunted for entirety."

"What does this have to do with you?"

"Not long ago, I was Gary Ernest. From the time I was a child, my family had money. Oh yes, I had whatever I wanted, I possessed. When I was of age, I helped Father run the business. In time, I was more ruthless than he could ever be. Milton once wrote that most people never get into Heaven or Hell. It takes real creativity to go to either. I will surely go to Hell. Oh yes. I would drive men to ruin for a few dollars profit. It was not the money, it never was. It was the power. . .the power."

Stunned, Cassie stared as Caliban continued. "I have been thinking a great deal about the way that we live. Not 'we' as in you and I, but we as a society. We live our lives on the basics of imaginary wealth. What is money? but a promise of payment? It used to be that money stood for gold. Oh yes, gold. Now it is the promise of payment. Only that payment never comes because the paper becomes the payment. A dollar is worth the promise of the United States government and that is all. Even when it used to be based on gold, it was nothing. What use is gold? Oh, it looks nice and is semi-rare. I can think of a dozen metals that match the same description. Gold and money has worth only because we have decided that it does. Think about the implications of this."

"I don't see what this has to do with you."

"Here is a thousand dollar bill. Do you want it?"

"Yeah. . .sure," Cassie said grabbing the dirty bill from his fingers. "Are you sure about this?"

"I have enough money to last for the next three centuries."

"Thanks."

"What will you do with this?"

"I've been wanting a computer, and this can go a long way towards getting me one."

"So you are not going to keep the money because it is money?" Caliban asked.

"I don't understand."

"For you, money in and of itself is not valuable, yes?"

"Yeah. What's your point?"

"It was not so, for me. When you put value on something that does not really exist, eventually your values will fall. The money became more important than anything else. I cheated my father out of his money and left him penniless. I bought and sold people at a whim."

"What happened?"

"A homeless man saved me. Oh, he didn't mean to, but he did. I was leaving the building late one night and walking across the street to where my Cadillac was parked. There he stopped me. I couldn't see him well, because it was dark and the street lamp was broken. All he wanted was a little money to buy something to eat. I laughed at him and told him to go and get a job. He begged me and I laughed at him. I told him that I was about to go to a nice restaurant and eat a nice thick steak with A-1 sauce and I hoped that he would starve. You seem shocked, yes. I told you I was a monster, but the story is not yet over."

"I can't believe you did that." Cassie said.

"There's more. I tried to walk past him, but he would not move, so I hit him. I hit him so hard that he fell to the ground. He was so old and hungry he must have died before he hit the sidewalk. Instead of helping him, I looked around to see if anyone had seen me, and continued on my way. But someone did see me. Once I made it to the parking garage, I had the feeling that I was being followed."

"And it was someone like. . .you?"

"Yes. Oh, he was monstrous. I nearly fainted from the sight of him, you handled seeing me much better. He asked me if I could spare a dollar. I gave him all the money I had and he hit me. He told me that money could not buy my way out of this problem. He grabbed me with his iron strong arms and bit into my shoulder. When I awoke I was like this."

"It must have been awful!"

"I have not, except today, felt pain like it. I must have scared the first lady I met to death. Eventually I found that I could make myself unseen. Yes, I wandered around, learning all that I could. At first I thought that the sun light would kill me, like vampires. Oh yes, I would have gladly died. I waited for the sunrise and nothing happened. After promising the various fractions of the nightlife that I would be neutral, I found this place. Even vampires and werewolves, except Morrison who fears no one, seem afraid of me. It is almost as if they know my sins are worse than theirs. They had a name for my kind; the Fallen. What this means, I do not know. And in the end, I became glad of my curse."

"What?"

"A monster I became least a monster I would be."

"I don't get it."

"By becoming a monster on the outside, I was no longer a monster on the inside. And here for many nights I have read. When I discovered the name Caliban, it seemed to fit."

Cassie wiped her eyes. "Wow. That's some story. How did you know about me?"

"I have watched you and your friends for several months. Yes. I know all about you. In a sense, you have become my friends. I was there when Barker and Rice first declared their love. I watched as Kat declared her love for Rice, only to be told the truth. I watched all of you drink wine and watch the sun rise. In a sense, I have lived through you."

"You pervert!" Cassie cursed.

"It has been my only contact with the world. You were my only saving grace from despair."

"I'm sorry. . . but this was our place."

"Yes, I know. It still is if you want it."

"You know everything?" Cassie asked.

"Yes. I know about your love for Steve."

"Twist the knife a little harder why don't you?"

"Forgive me, I have never learned the art of tact."

"No shit Sherlock, where'd get your clue?" Cassie inquired.

"You are the only one that knows of me, please do not tell anyone."

Cassie looked into Caliban's face once again. Although incredibly ugly, it was not so bad once she had gotten used to it. "Only if you do not tell anyone that I'm a fairy."

"Deal. I have been wondering about you. How did you become a fairy? I should have known before now."

"Hey! I just found out about it tonight," Cassie told him.

"Then I am impressed with your performance and in case I forgot to say this, thank you."

"You were the one that went between the guys and that psycho," Cassie said with a smirk.

"It had to be done."

"So what crawled up Morrison's ass and died?"

"He is the enforcer of Gideon, a powerful vampire lord trying to take power in the city of angels. Gideon seems to have gotten the idea that I am working for his rival MacDuff."

"And are you?"

"No. That is what is curious. Something is wrong. Very wrong. Before my change I never believed in the supernatural, but you and I meeting has to have a purpose," Caliban said.

"I can feel that too. On my way here, I heard a voice tell me that I have joined the army of light, or something like that. He said that I would soon find allies," Cassie added.

"A voice?"

"The Goths call him the Whistling Dude."

Although it was difficult to read the Fallen's face, Cassie thought for a moment she detected a hint of surprise from Caliban's face. "You heard His voice? Are you certain?"

"No. Just know what Barker and Rice told me." Cassie answered nervously, "Is there something I should know about?"

Caliban sighed. "No. It was just a passing thought."

"Hey! I just thought of something. Morrison was speaking in the future tense when he was attacking you."

"Meaning?" Caliban asked perplexed.

"That it is not something that you have done, but something that you will do that caused him to attack you."

"That would explain a lot. I have had strange dreams of walking somewhere. I can not explain it but somehow I know that it will happen," Caliban revealed.

"Now that you mention it, so have I." Cassie muttered, "We were going up a highway."

"Yes, and now that I ponder the matter, you could have been in it. It is difficult to remember," Caliban said.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, and there were three others."

"And we all walked together."

"I don't know what this means, but you are not the monster you think you are. At least not now."

"Just as you are more beautiful than you know."

Cassie blushed. Although it made her skin crawl, she opened her arms and hugged Caliban. "Thank you," he whispered.

"I have a feeling we are going to be spending a lot of time together." Cassie told him.

**RING! RING! RING!**

Cassie jumped up from her bed as though someone blew a trumpet into her ear. She looked at her alarm clock: _7:55 a.m._ She had talked to Caliban until sunrise. Silently, Cassie thanked God that her parents and brother were asleep when she returned home. Grumbling to herself, Cassie stumbled to the phone.

"Thrill me!" she bellowed.

"Hi Cassie, can we talk?" a male voice responded.

It was Steve. "Of course. What's up?" Cassie asked.

"Have you seen Sylvia?" he asked.

"No. Barker told me you guys were going to a concert."

"We did. Did he tell you where?"

"No. He didn't seem to know."

"We got tickets to the Viper Room."

"How the Hell did you get tickets to the Viper Room? How do you rate?"

"I don't know. Sylvia did somehow. Anyway we got separated and I can't seem to find her."

"I can tell when you're lying. Cough it up."

"A man picked her up. A tall black man with dread locks. Sylvia acted like she didn't know who I was anymore, like she was on drugs or something. Then I turned around and she was gone. I tried making a fuss but some tall guy hairy guy tossed me out. I thought she might have stayed the night with you."

"Do you know either guys' name?"

"The one that threw me out. His name is Morrison."

"Morrison? What time did he do this?"

"About four o'clock in the morning."

"That would be about right." Cassie muttered.

"About right for what?"

"Never mind. I might know some people that might know where Sylvia is."

"Really who?"

"No one you know. Tell me, do you really love her?"

"More than anything. I haven't felt this way before. You know me, I never let anyone inside. Didn't want to after Mom died. Are you still there?" Steve asked.

"I'm here. Call the police, just in case."

"I can't do that, she could get in trouble for being there in the first place. She's under age."

Cassie wiped a tear from her eye. Sylvia had more problems than getting in trouble with the police. "I'll do my best. Don't tell anyone what happened. I'll call you in a little while," she told him.

"Okay. Thanks." Steve said.

"No problem," Cassie said after she hung up. "No problem at all."

Cassie dropped back on her bed. She hugged her stuffed fox and cried. All she had to do was do nothing and Steve could be hers. If she did nothing, Sylvia would die. Or worse, Morrison might eat her alive. Caliban, or rather Gary, had said that we all know the good from the evil. Ariel said that mortals choose evil to exist. She would make her own choice.

She picked up the phone and dialed the number Caliban had given her. "Hello, Gary speaking," he said.

"Caliban, this is Cassie. I think I know what's going on."

"Please enlighten me," Caliban said.

"What do you know about the Viper Room?"

"It is owned by MacDuff and he usually meets with Gideon there," Caliban answered.

"That's what I thought. Last night, Sylvia got lost in there and Steve was kicked out by Mr. tall, dark, and hairy."

"Morrison?"

"Yeah. Funny how you get attacked and then Sylvia gets kidnapped."

"Are you sure she was kidnapped?"

"No, but it looks like it."

"Did Steve know who did it?" Caliban inquired.

"A black man with dread locks."

"Did he have a chicken foot necklace?"

"I didn't ask. Is that important?"

"Yes. It could mean Sylvia's life."

"That's what I thought. What do you know?" she questioned him.

"It could be Murphy. He's a vampire of the worst sort. He works for Gideon."

"Meaning?"

"He likes little innocent girls to play with."

"Do you think this is why Morrison attacked you last night? To stop you from helping Sylvia?" Cassie asked.

"I think so."

"So do I. What do you think we should do? I'm new to this."

"If I am right, Sylvia is being used as a bargaining chip so she'll be okay. They let Steve go so he would tell us where they are."

"Okay. So what do we do?"

"Play their game," Caliban declared.

"What?"

"Play their game. . .only we play to win."

"When?" Cassie asked.

"During the day, the Viper Room is closed. It would be pointless to try to go now. Tonight is a different story."

"Thrill me."

"We'll walk right into the lion's mouth and pull out his teeth."


	3. Chapter 3

The Highway West Andrew 95

Chapter Three: The Last Command

_It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness._

_-Japanese Proverb_

Teachers search their entire lives for the single student who will enthusiastically embrace their field and force them to view the world in a different light. For Sensei Tagami Yomoto that student was Elijah Kincaid.

"Ohayo Gozaimasu, Tagami Sensei," Elijah greeted Tagami, not glancing away from the giant thirty inch television screen.

"In English, you still have to master your own language, Elijah."

Elijah half turned, still sitting in the lotus position. "Good morning, Tagami Sensei, forgive me I have not practiced as much as I should have," he said with a slight bow.

"Good Morning, Elijah. Do not apologize, it is difficult to learn another language. Continue with your studies," Tagami Sensei ordered.

Elijah bowed, resumed facing the television screen, and changed the channel. Images flickered across the screen. There were so many names that it took hours for Elijah to learn them all and even longer to be able to tell the difference between them. Some were barely dressed women, of all races, strutting around on stage. Others were long haired, white, tattooed men screaming at a sea of people. Others were black men driving around in Mercedes crooning about their sexual prowess. This was nothing like Bach, but Elijah sensed an energy about the music that seemed to break all of the walls. For that, if nothing else, Elijah could respect it. Tagami watched Elijah watch the television.

Upon casual observation, Elijah might have been mistaken for a young Japanese man. Every gesture, mannerism, and nod mirrored the ancient customs as Tagami had tutored him. However his parents were Scottish and their lost son's body reflected it. His long reddish blond hair was tied behind his head into a ponytail, in the style of Japanese monks. His gray blue eyes carefully watched each image flicker. His nose was definitely Scottish with a broad base. His clean shaven face appeared raptured with horror and delight. Constant exercise, prescribed by Tagami, sculpted his body to an excellent fighting form.

"Sensei, may I ask a question?"

"You may always ask, Elijah."

"I do not understand this MTV. Could you please explain?"

"What do you not understand?"

"Last week, Full Metal Condom was rated as the number one singing group with a video."

"Please continue."

"This week Full Metal Condom is not even rated and a singing group known as Fear of Dolls is number one. I do not understand."

"This country was founded on the idea of change and adaptation. Status is gained by adapting quickly or discovering a new path."

"But the change seems too quick."

"You intuitively understand one of the greatest problems of the modern world, Elijah."

"I do not understand."

"The question people ask each other now is what is new? What they should be asking is who are you? what is best? What is quality?"

"Yes! Yes! I know who I am, but what is best? What is quality?"

"Are you certain that you know who you are?"

"I am Chiyanbara. There is no other answer."

"Elijah, there may come another day when you will find that many of us cling to the various roles thrust upon us by destiny or choice. Those roles have to have a strong foundation or they shall falter."

"But what is best?"

"I do not know."

Elijah sighed. "If you do not know, then how am I to know what is best? How can I be Chiyanbara if I do not know the good?" he asked, upset.

Tagami smiled. "The good is in our hearts, we only have to listen."

"I have read many of the books that are supposed to know goodness. I have read the Talmud, the Kama-Suta, the Book of Mormon, the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Necromonicon, the Koran, and the Tao. All of them claim to know goodness and the truth, but parts of them seem wrong, Sensei."

"Please explain, Elijah"

"For example, one of the passages in the Old Testament has been bothering me, Sensei."

"Which one?"

"Lot is described as a virtuous man by Saint Peter in the New Testament, but the only statement I can find about his virtue is Genesis nineteen, verse eight. Lot has invited two strangers into his home, who he knows to be angels. When his neighbors wish to see the strangers they begin to beat down his door. To protect his guests, Lot offers his two virgin daughters to the crowd to do with as they please if they will leave Lot's guests alone. It seems to me that not only Lot was a coward, but that the only reasons he fed the strangers were because he knew they were angels! This man is virtuous? Tell me Sensei, what do you believe?"

"I believe in. . .you."

"Sensei, that is not a fair answer," Elijah protested.

Tagami laughed. "I suppose it is not. Please point to the quickest route around the universe."

"How can I? For all that I know the universe is infinite."

"Then how am I supposed to teach you these things?"

"I thought you knew. Forgive me," said the student.

"There is nothing to forgive. It is good for you to see my limits every once in a while," said the teacher.

"Sensei, when can I see more of the city?"

"The time is close, but you are not yet ready."

"Please, Sensei, tell me about my parents?" the student asked.

"Your parents are. . . ."

"'Your parents.' I know that. Every time I ask you, you always tell me the same thing!" Elijah interrupted him.

"To protect you from those that hunt you, I have kept you hidden from the world and in doing so I have kept you from experiencing the world. In this, I have been wrong. However, before we leave the sanctuary, you must be ready. You must know the culture if you are to become Chiyanbara."

"How am I to know the culture if I do not visit the city? All my life I have lived in the wilderness. Three weeks I have been in this city and I have seen none of it. I must know more, I have been away too long."

Dreadful silence. Tagami Sensei twisted his eyebrows in concern. "You might be correct. Those that hunt for you are strong, but by now I am almost certain they do not look for you. If we are careful, you should not be in danger. But you must study. If you master this culture, then perhaps we will go tonight."

"Please, Sensei, can you at least tell me of the danger we are in?"

"When the time is right, I will tell you everything."

"You say that every time."

"Yes I do. Now Study!"

Tagami Sensei rarely raised his voice and the few times that he did cut off any arguments from Elijah. Although Tagami was short and skinny and old, but also a Chiyanbara Master and not to be offended lightly. Every time Elijah thought he could defeat Tagami, a new maneuver would quickly deflate his ego and send him back to the Dojo for hours of practice. Tagami wore his graying black hair long and braided. His brown eyes were surrounded by deep wrinkles. He, like Elijah, wore simple black robes and sandals.

Tagami bowed and then left the room. Wistfully, Elijah looked around the study. For years he had dreamed of such a library where he could read wonderful poetry from Samuel Coleridge, plays from Shakespeare, and the works of Lao Tzu. Someone, Elijah forgot who, once wrote that iron bars do not a prison make. Elijah knew prison and it was not iron bars. It was boredom. Literature could sustain him, but he needed to experience the world and this city. It was a little more than three weeks ago that Tagami Sensei decided it was time for Elijah to learn about modern culture and enter civilization. It seemed like a lifetime. He longed for the familiar scent of the wild, but pacified himself watching television.

The first time Elijah saw images move across the screen, he nearly fainted. Although he had heard of such devices, it seemed magical to him. He was even more shocked when he realized that Tagami Sensei expected him to learn all that he could from the television.

Television fascinated him. The experience was passive and left nothing to the imagination. It was nothing like reading a Shakespeare play. Yet, it opened a whole new world to him. He could see Australia one second and New York another. During the day, he would watch women switch mates more often than underclothes.

The single profound moment came from a science fiction movie. Although it was a sequel to a movie he had yet to see, _The Empire Strikes Back_ mirrored classic epics and myths that were ancient when humanity was young. Like Hamlet, the hero Luke, had to avenge his father, who was betrayed by a friend, Darth Vader. As the movie progressed, Luke learned more about his powers and his father. When Darth Vader faced Luke, he had to face reality; Darth Vader was his father. His teacher had lied. Faced with the choice of following in his father's evil footsteps or choosing to jump into the technical abyss; Luke jumped into the abyss. Elijah cheered. Both Hamlet and Luke had to decide to be or not to be.

Elijah wondered when he would have to make his choice and if he would make the right one. While imagining himself as a hero, a passing thought echoed in the back of his mind. What if Tagami was not telling the truth? To quote Dickens, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

_Haunting melodies combined with strange clicks and whirls assailed his ears. Unlike Bach whose music could be measured with mathematical precision, this music was chaotic, harsh, and hellish. Images of factories and wastelands spilled onto the screen. It reminded Elijah of Paradise Lost._

Click.

_"You do not understand the power of the dark side of the force!"_

Click.

_"Bow down before the one you serve. You're going to get what you deserve."_

Click.

"O' brave new world," Elijah muttered as the screen went dark.

Watching television for three hours caused Elijah's body to ache so he decided to exercise in the Dojo. It took an hour of hard practice before he began to tire and break a sweat. Working with the practice dummy, Elijah swung his broadsword in defensive arcs and casually slapped it.

Elijah focused his will upon his body and its actions to the exclusion of everything else. Like a dancer, every muscle instantly obeyed his command. His movements were balanced and graceful. Every aspect of his mind concentrated on his movement. As a result, his senses didn't register Tagami until Elijah felt a hand under his throat pulling him backwards. Deftly, he jumped with the roll, flipped over, and landed on his feet holding his broadsword in a defensive arc. "Weak! Weak! Have you not heard what I have told you?!" asked the teacher.

"I have Sensei."

"Then you have not been listening! How did I sneak behind you?"

"I do not know."

"The Chiyanbara training is meant to be a tool. Do not let it become a cage.""I do not understand."

"The mental exercises I taught you strengthen your will and concentration. If used improperly you will not only master your mind, but lose the most important gift that humanity possesses."

"What is that?"

"You will lose your imagination, the ability to dream, Elijah."

"If I must surrender a few pleasures to become Chiyanbara, then I am willing to make the sacrifice, Sensei."

Tagami smiled sadly. "You still do not understand the nature of who we are. We are Chiyanbara. We are more than mere vampire hunters. We are the representation of humanity in the Ascension War. We must be more than mere warriors, we must be teachers, poets, the pioneers of the new humanity."

"I am not ready for that," Elijah admitted.

"You will be."

"Sensei, may we visit the city?"

"If you can defeat me. . .we will go," Tagami stated.

"Defeat you? You are the master. I am the student," Elijah sad.

"And you must be a master before you journey to this city," Tagami told his student.

Silently, Tagami plucked a katana from the weapons rack. For the first time the student and the teacher bowed to each other as equals. The duel was an eloquent ballet of skill. Tagami and Elijah swung their blades in an exotic variety of offensive and defensive arcs. "You are quite good, Elijah."

"Thank you, you have worked hard to make it so, Sensei."

In the end, it was not skill but stamina that determined the outcome of the match. Tired, Tagami could no longer hold against Elijah's attacks. Like a snake, Elijah attacked disarming Tagami. Surprised, the Elijah bowed to the man who had been his teacher.

Tagami smiled with pride. "It is time that you visited the city."

Elijah showered, dressed, and was waiting for Tagami ten minutes later. He waited impatiently twenty-five more minutes before Tagami appeared. Both of them were dressed in styles that Elijah recognized from television. Elijah wore a pair of jeans with a white t-shirt and black boots. Tagami Sensei wore charcoal gray slacks and a white dress shirt with a tie. "Why are we not dressed the same?" Elijah asked.

"This is how people your age are to dress, Elijah. I am attired in the manner of an elder."

Tagami Sensei slipped his identification card into the security slot and the elevator door opened. "Sensei, you have been more than a father to me for as long as I can remember. You taught me the ways of the wild, how to fight, and how to think. Am I not ready to be Chiyanbara? Should you not share the burden that faces us?"

"When we return you will know everything that you desire, for now learn," the Chiyanbara Master answered

_"Welcome to Tagami Towers, one of the largest buildings in the greater Los Angeles area. Within the Tagami Towers are office spaces, spacious living quarters, and several businesses. At Tagami Towers, we believe in effective space management. . ." _a female voice said.

Surprised, Elijah moved to a defensive position. Although he did not see anyone, he stood ready to defend Tagami.

Tagami smiled and almost laughed. "Elijah, have you forgotten about the computer system? Listen and you will learn about your new home," he instructed his student.

Elijah's face turned crimson with embarrassment. "Forgive me, Sensei," he said shamefully.

"Do not look down. . .I have not taught you the ways of this world. In many ways you are like a baby being born. Everything will be new to you. Enjoy this day," he told Elijah.

Once the elevator reached the first floor, Tagami Sensei walked into the lobby leading Elijah by his arm. Tagami almost felt embarrassed by Elijah's dropped jaw. A hundred or more people were scattered through out the lobby going about their business. The noise of the crowd buzzed inside Elijah's ears. Everyone seemed to stare. They were all watching him. Elijah wiped the sweat from his brow. Upon seeing Tagami and Elijah cross the lobby, the doorman waved a greeting.

"Good Afternoon, Mr. Tagami." the doorman said.

"Good morning, Jim. This is my son, Elijah." Tagami informed him.

"Nice to meet you," the doorman replied, extending his hand.

Elijah ignored the hand. "Nice to meet you," Elijah said with a bow.

"Call me if you need anything, Mr. Tagami."

"Of course, Jerry."

As the doorman opened the door for another resident of Tagami Towers, Elijah pulled his sensei to the corner of the room. "There are too many people," Elijah complained.

"Actually, this is a slow day. There are usually twice as many."

"There were not as many people here when we arrived."

Tagami Sensei laughed. "No, but then we arrived in the middle of the night."

"How am I to know them?"

"You are not supposed to know them."

"I am to simply walk by?"

"Yes. Of course you are to be polite, but you do not have to know everyone," Tagami informed his student.

"Who am I to know?"

"Are you asking who you are to make friends with?"

"Yes, Sensei."

"That, I can not answer. You will know. Sometimes you will dream of them, or you will meet someone that is so much different that you want them as part of you. Or it could be your twin. When a friend appears you will know it."

"Sensei, you know I do not dream."

"You do not choose to dream."

"I have tried to dream."

"You can not try to dream, but you can prevent it."

"I have concentrated on discipline, as you have instructed me," Elijah reminded his teacher.

"Without dreams you can not be whole. What does it matter to have control over yourself if you can never dream? Come, you have waited twenty years, let us not wait another second."

The instant Elijah and Tagami Sensei walked through the tinted glass doors of their building, Elijah knew his location. "I have seen this place many times on television!"

"Where are we?" Tagami Sensei asked.

"Sunset Strip only it looks different with the. . . . "

"Smog."

"Yes, yes. Smog. I have never seen a day so foul and fair."

The cracked sidewalk intensified the scorching rays from the sun. Elijah quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead. There was too much to see. A bald, tattooed woman wearing black leather strutted past Elijah carrying a white rat. Elijah stared as she smiled showing off her earrings: two in her ears, one in her nose, and one on her tongue. As he was about to ask Tagami a question, a tall statuesque blonde woman skated past him wearing an extremely revealing bikini that covered the bare essentials and little else. She turned and smiled, skating backwards. Elijah dropped his jaw and pointed vaguely in her direction as she passed, too stunned to comment.

"It is impolite to stare, Elijah."

"Forgive me, Sensei, but I have not seen a woman up close before."

"For that I am truly sorry."

Two well groomed men, each in an expensive Armani business suit, strolled past Elijah. In the corner of his eye, Elijah could see them holding hands. Elijah opened his mouth to ask a question, but then decided against it. He wished he could ask questions to Tagami Sensei, but there were too many people swarming around him. His heartbeat began to race. Perfume, cologne, and a thousand other scents assailed him from all directions.

Not watching where he was going, Elijah bumped into what he thought was a wall. After rubbing his face, he looked forward to see the largest man he had ever seen in his life.

"Excuse me," Elijah said, awed.

"No. Excuse me," the large man said.

Something about his deep rich voice chilled him. Elijah glanced up and down the length of this man's body. He reminded Elijah of one of the wrestlers had he had seen on television, except that this man looked bigger. His entire body bulged with muscles. Elijah almost attacked him in fear until he saw the large man's smile, complete with a gap in the middle of his teeth. The large man's broad nose defined his face as though it were a vast untamed mountain. His black hair was cut short in a crew cut fashion. His dark ebony skin shined in the glistening sun light. Quickly, Elijah hopped off of the large man's black combat boot.

Elijah bowed. "Nice day to have a walk, sir," he said.

"Ha! Yes sir, it is. A mighty fine day to be sure. Is this your first visit to the city?" the huge black man asked.

Elijah looked over his shoulder for Tagami Sensei, but lost him in the crowd. "I have been here three weeks, but this is the first time I have seen the city," he admitted.

"Ha! I know how you feel. Living in this city is like riding a rampant bull. Just don't let it grind you down," he advised him.

"Grind me down? I do not understand."

"The machine! Do you know the story of Iron John?"

"I am afraid that I do not. What book is it in?"

"It's not in a book, sir! It's a story! No one has told you stories?"

"No, sir. I have spent my time reading."

"Come, sit with me. I'll tell it to you."

Although Elijah did want to hear the story, he worried about Tagami. Glancing around him, Elijah still could not find him. "Who are you look for looking for?" the black man asked.

It was not like Tagami to leave without telling him. "My teacher," Elijah answered.

"There is a bench by the bus stop. We'll sit there until he comes back."

"Thank you for you time, but I can not inconvenience you, sir."

"Lord knows my feet could use a rest anyway. Please sit with me."

"I would be honored, sir. I dislike being rude, but I am afraid I must ask a question. Who are you?"

"That is a powerful question."

"My teacher has taught me that it is the most powerful question one can ask," Elijah replied earnestly.

Elijah and the black man sat on the bench. As people crowded past, Elijah continued to look for Tagami Sensei, but failed to see him. "People around here call me Iron John. Who are you?" the black man asked.

"Elijah Kincaid."

"Mighty fine name. The good Lord knows there's power in names. I get my name from my stories. Reading is fine, Lord knows a day doesn't go by when I don't read the good book. Stories are meant to be more. It used to be that people gathered around for fun and listened to each other. Today, they hole up in their glass houses. Sorry. . . .Mamma Jenkins always told me I should have been a preacher, but I loved to walk too much."

"Here I promised you a story and I'm flapping my gums about telling you one. It all started about a hundred years ago with the railroad. People wanted to get from New York to California without any of the hardship. Wanted to just go along for the ride. Problem was there was no tracks that went all the way. So they decided to build the great railroad. People from all over the world worked on it. People from China to former slaves from Africa worked day and night to bridge the continent. That was when people worked with machines, not the other way around. You see people understood the value of your question. Who am I?"

"Back then, working the railroad was hard work. They didn't have the fancy machines we do now. The most a man had was his hammer or his shovel. The soil we tilled back then had to be moved by hand. I'm not saying their way was better, just harder. That was when we used machines. Now I'm not so sure. I don't fret about using modern tools. Lord knows I've pushed a jackhammer around the bend. It's when the tools work us, like television. Oh, I watch a little. A week don't go by when I watch my favorite show. People now are different. We fought a war to end slavery, only to be bound again, only this time television, computers, and such are cracking the whip."

"There was one man who used the machine, didn't let it grind him down. His name was Iron John. People say he used to be a huge man, a lot like myself. He was born a slave, but died a free man. He pounded stakes into the rails to keep them from moving off course."

"That was when the machine showed up. The owners wanted to get rid of stake drivers all together. They said it was cheaper and faster. They lost track of the main question and replaced it with another. They asked themselves, what do you want? They answered, money."

"So they build a huge machine that did the job. Iron John laughed. He knew no machine could ever replace him. So, he made a bet with the owners. If he could beat the machine in a contest, the owners would have to keep everyone on. If he lost, the owners could keep his wages. Iron John hit them where they were weak; their greed. The machine was cheaper, that's all they cared about. The corporations moved people all around the world, then junked them like they were trash. It's not the machines that are evil, its the way people used them."

"Yesterday, I talked to a friend all the way across the world in France. I just typed a few keys on a friends computer and got a response. Nothing wrong with that. It's when people make society a machine. All we become are cogs in a machine. It wasn't machines, meaning technology, Iron John fought against. He wanted to keep his manhood. Didn't want to be a cog in the machine."

"When they began the contest, the machine pounded away. Iron John followed the best he could. Reaching deep inside, he forced his body to pound stakes faster and faster. You see, his heart and will was stronger than the machine. He beat the machine. He knew who he was. But in doing so, he worked himself to death. Gave his life, so that the others could live like men and women. Iron John beat the machine, and so can you."

Elijah stared into Iron John's eyes. "Do I know you?" he asked.

"That's something you'll have to decide."

While Elijah pondered the black man's challenge, Iron John stood and held out his hand. Elijah took it and felt his iron grip. "I'm afraid I have many miles to go, if you know what I mean," the large man said.

"Thank you for the story, sir."

"No, thank you. You have a grand destiny before you. Unlike any other. Remember that your teacher ain't gonna be around forever. Pay attention to him now. Now, don't fret. You'll find friends. Allies in arms, so to speak. A new family. A new beginning," Iron John said as he began walk down the street.

Watching Iron John walk down the street, Elijah failed to notice Tagami sneaking next to him and sitting down.

"Did you enjoy your new friend?" he asked.

Elijah jumped up and nearly attacked him. "Sensei! Where were you?" he asked.

"Over there. By the water fountain. I wanted to give you a chance to meet a friend."

"For that, I thank you."

The sound of screeching tires cut through the roar of the crowd. Elijah turned to see a black Mercedes. The tinted black windows quickly rolled down and a hooded teenager leveled a shotgun towards the crowd. Before Elijah could process the information, the teenager fired into the crowd.

As the Mercedes began to accelerate, Elijah darted towards it. He jumped onto a parked car and dove for the Mercedes just missing it. Painfully, his body slammed against the dirty black hard asphalt.

He forced himself to look up in time to see the Mercedes turn the corner. Slowly he pushed himself off the street, rolled to his feet, and stood. He looked towards the crowd, searching for Tagami. People were crowded in a thick circle and he could not see Tagami Sensei. Quickly, he pushed his way through the crowd to see Tagami Sensei kneeling. Blood stained his new white dress shirt. Elijah thought that his teacher had been shot until he saw the child.

She looked about seven or eight, but Elijah had never been around children so it was hard to tell. She wore a pink Sailor dress. Her eyes were closed but the gaping wound in her stomach was not. Her skin was a soft ebony color that was slowly turning gray. The crowd around them stared, not disgusted but curious. Her head looked too large for her body. It was almost as though she were a giant doll. Amidst the stench of trash, pollution, and sweat, Elijah could smell decay and death.

"Sensei?"

"She is dead."

"Now is the winter of our discontent. I now understand why Shakespeare wrote that," Elijah muttered.

After a thousand questions by the police and pictures from the press, Elijah and Tagami returned home. "I do not like the world outside, Sensei. It is too evil," Elijah complained.

"Partly, yes," Tagami agreed.

"It's so ugly," Elijah said, disgusted.

"What is a bad man but. . . ."

"A good man's challenge. _The Way of Life_ by Lao Tzu. There are a lot of bad men," Elijah pointed out.

"A greater challenge."

"We are but two men."

"Yes, but we are Chiyanbara. We should be more than mere men. We are symbols."

"It is hopeless, Sensei."

"It is better to have sunshine in the heart than thunder in the mouth," Tagami told his student.

"Why do you never give me a straight answer?"

"Different circumstances demand different answers. We are not a single person, but many people within one. When we enter a different room, we become different people. You have not learned this, because you have only been in one room," Tagami told him.

"Why was the girl shot?" the student asked.

"I do not know."

"What?" Elijah cried.

"I do not know."

"I thought you knew everything."

"Then you have thought wrong. I may be Chiyanbara but I am but a man. What a piece of work is man? How noble in reason? How infinite in faculties? In form and moving how express and admirable? In action how like an angel? In apprehension how like a god! Yet, a man is mortal, and fallible."

"But. . ."

"There is no but. We will discuss this later. For now meditate."

Elijah tried to meditate on the mat in the Dojo, but could not. Anger blocked his thoughts. He tried to gain that peace that Tagami often described. He sensed the peace in the distance of his mind, but an inner voice called him away from the calm in the storm. That voice begged and pleaded and demanded Elijah to run to the storm and claim it as his own. If he was going to be Chiyanbara, he would have to know the world.

Click.

_". . .anniversary of the Charles Manson killings."_

Click.

_"Good, bad. . .I got the gun!"_

Click.

_"Police today caught a man from Fresno with a 41-year history of sex crimes against children working in a preschool."_

Click.

_"Satan is alive and well today, only God can defeat him. I have been given the power to defeat the devil, but I need funds for my ministry."_

Click.

_"An I.R.A bombing in Northern Ireland killed ten people."_

Click.

_"Scholars report that David Koresh did indeed translate the first Seal of Revelation, indicating that five. . . ."_

Click.

_"Father Juan Gonzales, a Catholic priest, at Saint Thomas cathedral has organized a program that will help get kids out of gangs and into the schools."_

Click.

_"All we are saying is give peace a chance. All we are saying is give peace a chance." _

Click.

_"I know it's tough out there. I'm a member of the why bother generation myself. But, you're not alone."_

Click.

_"To be or not to be: that is the question."_

Click.

_"There is no fate except that which we make."_

Click.

_"You can touch someone's life forever. Call Big Brothers..."_

Click.

_"Change! Now it's time for change. Nothing stays the same. Now it's time for change."_

Click.

_"Just do it!"_

Click.

Clipping a branch from the bonsai tree, Tagami knew he was not alone. _"You should have stayed hidden old man,_" the voice growled.

Tagami flinched. He gently set down his bonsai tree and turned around. The voice was deep, evil, and inhuman.

_"You can't see me, but I can see you._"

Tagami, with his eyes closed, reached for the light switch under his workbench. Flood lights emitted powerful beams of light into the garden leaving everything visible. Once his eyes adjusted, Tagami spotted the intruder, who was still blinded.

The intruder's skin was extremely pale. His long blond hair looked as though it had not been washed for a week. His eyes were a glowing red. Monstrous fangs gleamed in the floodlights. His clothing was leather, black, and gothic.

_"I brought a message from MacDuff,"_ he growled.

"What is it, Lucian?"

_"You were stupid to let them take your picture, old man."_

"It was an accident."

_"You were told to never show your face in this town again."_

Tagami stepped away from the table holding a wooden stake he had been using to mold the growth of the bonsai tree. "And what is to be done?" he asked.

_"You were the greatest vampire hunter in history, but now you're an old man. You have been given to me to play with." _

"Come then, dog! I'll not lie like a lamb, but fight like a tiger."

Lucian leapt at Tagami, who used the force of his leap to direct him into a shelf of pottery. Several pots fell and shattered on the floor. Lucian screamed in response. It was a primal scream, devoid of intellect. Holding the wooden stake in a striking position, Tagami waited for Lucian's next attack.

Although Lucian outmatched him in strength and speed and endurance, Tagami knew the ways of the Chiyanbara. In his prime, Tagami might have defeated ten vampires of Lucian's power. Old and tired and weak, Tagami relied solely on his mind and courage.

Slowly, he maneuvered Lucian towards the corner. Chuckling as Tagami within his strike range, Lucian failed to see the trap. A quick kick, by Tagami, at the knee knocked Lucian to the floor. Holding the stake above his head, Tagami Yomoto prepared to stab Lucian. Angrily, Lucian hissed.

The wood shifted in his hand. It felt like his hand had been dipped in a pool of slime as the wooden stake transformed into a limp rubber chicken.

A shrill voice echoed around them. Both Tagami and Lucian felt a twinge of horror. _"Twenty pieces of chicken! Twenty pieces of chicken!"_

Distracted, Tagami allowed the vampire's superhuman speed to deliver him from the trap. Maneuvering the table between himself and the vampire, the Chiyanbara Master quickly scanned the gardens. He knew of only one creature who had mastery of illusions and a twisted chicken fixation and the thought of his presence chilled him to the bone.

Click. Elijah muted the television for a split second. He thought he had heard a scream upstairs. He waited for a few second until the clash of battle excited his ears. Frantic, Elijah burst into the Dojo for his broadsword and then darted up the stairs.

Lucian spun towards Tagami and shattered the table with his fist. _ "I'm going to chew on your intestines old man."_

There was another presence in the garden, Tagami sensed him and he knew it had to be the Dreaded One. Concentrating on the rubber chicken, Tagami dispelled the illusion. The Dreaded One knew how to twist minds but once Elijah arrived, the odds would be even.

"Then do it," Tagami barked.

Enraged, Lucian clawed the Chiyanbara Master, who ducked under the blow and stabbed with the stake. Piercing the vampire's skin, the wooden stake fractured and splintered into several pieces. Surprised, Tagami failed to dodge from Lucian's next assault. Inhuman steel fingers enclosed around the old man's neck, lifting him into the air. Desperate, Tagami attempted to twist out of the vampire's grip, but his strength failed him.

As Elijah reached the top of the stairs, blood squirted from his master's neck. "No!" Elijah screamed.

Lucian looked at Elijah with disdain and smiled. _"Wait, boy. Your turn is next,"_

Tagami's face turned turquoise and his eyes bulged like a dead fish. Furious, Elijah swung his broadsword in an offensive arc and charged the vampire. Lucian snickered and snapped the Chiyanbara Master's neck like a pencil. Dropping the dead Tagami, Lucian bared his fangs. _"You mess with things you don't understand, boy."_

"Who are you?"

Casually, Lucian plucked the remains of Tagami's stake from his side. _"I'm a demon from hell!" _

Elijah felt the supernatural essence of the vampire beat down upon his will. His instincts and blood and his soul desired to surrender to Lucian. Focusing, Elijah ran his mind through the Chiyanbara mind excerises. "Then from the heart of Hell, I will stab at thee!"

_"You are brave, pup! Maybe I'll kill you quick. You interrupted my dinner, now you get to be the dessert."_

Elijah swung his broadsword into a slicing arc, prepared to parry as needed. Tagami had attempted to stake this vampire, but lacked the muscle to pierce the supernatural flesh. Ignoring the vampire's taunts, Elijah prepared for his assault.

_"Take your best shot."_

Spinning the broadsword in his left hand, Elijah distracted the vampire as he snatched another stake from the floor. Quicker than a rattlesnake, Elijah thrust the wooden stake into Lucian's heart. Startled, Lucian laughed. The mocking cackle died on his lips. He fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Pausing, Elijah waited for movement, but Lucian was a shattered motionless rock.

Dropping his broadsword next to Lucian, Elijah ran to Tagami. His eyes were open, but dying. Seeing Elijah, Tagami smiled and coughed blood.

"No!" Elijah cried.

"I have something to tell you," Tagami whispered.

"Yes, Sensei."

_"Twenty pieces of chicken!"_

Elijah gently set Tagami Sensei's hand on the floor. He felt Tagami's arm and could not find a pulse.

_"Twenty pieces of chicken!_"

Angry, Elijah looked around the garden. "Show yourself!"

_"Puer natus est nobis et filus est nobis; cujus imperium super humerum ejus; et vocabitur nomen ejus, consilii Angelus. _Only because you asked so nicely."

Smiling like a cat sent through the cleaners, the imp slowly faded into view. Standing nearly seven feet tall, the creature hunched his back slightly. Nearly bald, the remaining strands of light brown hair danced wildly like a mad scientist. His jade green eyes were bulging like a creature from the bottom of the ocean. His insane uneven smile begged Elijah to join him. Wearing a fuschia and mustard plaid blazer with bright green knickers that were three sizes too large, the imp strained Elijah's eyes. His large, black combat boots appeared to be two sizes too large. Under the blazer, he wore a white t-shirt that read _KFC, We do chicken right! _

"Who are you?"

"I have been called by many names, some of them we would not be allow to say on network television, but you may call me Bucky."

"Why have you attacked us?"

"I didn't attack you, I did watch and it was most enjoyable."

"Who is this?"

"Lucian. A droll man with the intelligence of a cockroach and as loyal too."

"What is going on?"

"Twenty pieces of chicken!"

"What?!"

"Twenty pieces of chicken!"

Elijah held his broadsword in a defensive arc. "Either speak, or you will join Lucian!" Elijah threatened.

"Really? Speak! Speak! That's all everyone says to me these days! Next you will be offering me your mother, trying to sell me the most boring sexual favors!"

Screaming, Elijah sliced the imp. The blade passed through Bucky as though he was a ghost. "Surely, you didn't expect me to let you hit me?"

Elijah set his broadsword in a high arc, waiting for an attack. He felt a slight touch from behind and attacked. He sliced through the air. Contorted giggling echoed. Darkness enveloped. "I'm over here!" Bucky taunted.

_A row of Buckys linked arms and danced the can-can. A race of children were bound with mind forged manacles. The Lord of Shadows kept them blind to the light, distracted from the coming war. _

"The Colonel wants you to join him."

"The Colonel?"

"The big bossman! He knows the secret!!!!"

"What secret?"

"Twenty pieces of chicken! The secret recipe! The secret to everything!"

"What recipe?"

"Oh, you know. You're not like everyone else. The world is like a herd of cattle running along with a few dogs yapping at them. We don't have to be the cattle or the dogs. Even the Colonel is really one of them. You and I can be something totally different."

"What can we be?"

"Anything we want! Don't you see? We can change things! I've spent five hundred years as Diogynes with his lamp, searching for the one man willing to die in the right place for all the wrong reasons. Twenty pieces of chicken!"

"You helped kill Tagami didn't you?"

"Of course I did, he could have been a hero, like us. He could have changed things, but he didn't. I tried to convince him for forty years to change, but he never did. In the end, he wasn't much better poor Lucian over there. Alas, poor Lucian, you have killed him well. By the way, I love your Shakespeare quotes. Do you have to practice them before hand?"

Elijah closed his eyes and swirled his broadsword around him. He danced around the room, waiting for Bucky to strike.

"I could make you join me, but then you would be a cow. Is that what you want?"

"I want Tagami back!"

"Well like Mick Jagger says, 'you can't always get what you want!'"

"Who is the Colonel?"

"MacDuff, the big bossman! Right now he's on top, likes the view I think, but things are changing. More than both you or he knows."

"Thank you. Now you will die!"

Elijah swung his broadsword behind him striking Bucky on the chest forcing him to become visible. "The game is over. Stop!" Bucky commanded.

In a brief moment the Apollonian and the Dionysian met and became one. The Apollonian froze Bucky, digging deep into his soul. The Dionysian cut Elijah loosen, setting him adrift. Neither could overcome the other; both had found their polar opposite.

"You have such will, together we can change the world!"

"What do you want?"

"You're starting to get the picture now or at least both of the questions."

Elijah charged, startling Bucky. All of the illusions shattered, leaving Bucky and Elijah alone. Performing an impromptu tap dance, Bucky laughed. "You have to free your mind for the manacles. It all depends on you. You're the nexus. When men like you turn, the universe tends to follow you."

"Then the universe can follow me as I strangle you!"

With a look of sincere irony and madness, Bucky saluted Elijah. As the Chiyanbara dove for the imp, gravity dissipated. Like an insane angel, Bucky flew to the skylight while Elijah slammed into the wall scraping his hand across the bottom of Bucky's boots. "Not bad for a white boy! It's gotta be the shoes!"

Thrusting his fist into the air, Elijah cursed the imp with feelings that extend beyond words!

"We will meet again. After all the game has only just begun! There are more things on heaven and earth, Horatio, you'll see."

"The only thing you shall win is Lucian's fate!"

"Yes, but only on my terms!"

Violently, Elijah threw his broadsword at Bucky, who easily dodged it. "Run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch the Buckmeister man! Ha!"

Clearing the skylight, Bucky blew the frustrated Elijah a kiss. "See you tomorrow, hero."

Breathing deeply, Elijah forced the grief and anger out his mind through a Chiyanbara meditation technique. Building a weak dam of will, the emotions would swell hidden allowing him to continue his work. Knelling before his fallen master, Elijah kissed his cheek lightly.

It was time for the last command. Hidden in a panel under his mattress was an ancient chest. It was the only item Tagami kept from their exile in the wilderness. Elijah had carried that chest over thirty miles through rough terrain on their trek to civilization. Tagami had ordered Elijah to never open the chest until the day of his death. Cradling Tagami in his arms, Elijah carried him to his bedroom and gently set him on his mattress.

Awed, Elijah glanced around the room. Tagami never allowed Elijah to enter his private room. It was his sole source of solitude during their stay in Tagami Towers. Several framed pictures decorated the walls.

_A young, vital Tagami, barely twenty, wore an American pilot's uniform. Cuddling with a dark, beautiful woman, Tagami proudly displayed his metal of valor and a newspaper from September 11, 1916._

_An older Tagami, perhaps thirty, stood with a black woman with long braided hair. It was the same women from the other picture, only unlike Tagami she did not age a single year. The great Pyramid of Cheops dominated the background. Scrawled in paint was August 11, 1902._

The spartan room chilled Elijah. Respectfully, he dragged the mattress, and Tagami, to the side and opened the panel, which propelled the jeweled chest to surface. Holding his breath, Elijah opened the chest.

A single beautifully crafted katana lay on top of black silk cloth. On the golden hilt, Tagami's family crest was beautifully painted in silver. Reverently, he reached for the katana of his fallen master. To his surprise, the katana tingled with energy. Elijah sensed it reach deep inside his mind. Afraid, Elijah fought the mental onslaught until images of Tagami drenched his mind. This sword had been carried by the Chiyanbara since the death of the first Chiyanbara Master. It was the Ascalon.

Like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, Ascalon began to change. It extracted the desired form from within Elijah's soul. The legends were true. Siegfried called Ascalon by the name of Balmug. King Arthur used Ascalon, by the name Excalbur, to form the Chiyanbara fellowship known as the Round Table. Ramayana wandered India calling Ascalon by the name Jatakas. Gilgamesh slew many monsters with his beloved Adapa. And now, Ascalon belonged to him.

Once the Ascalon's metamorphous was completed, Elijah examined it. Ascalon morphed into the shape of a powerful broadsword. Respectfully, he held the Ascalon under his arm and unfolded the cloth and lifted it into the air. It was Tagami's Chiyanbara uniform.

Gently, Elijah set aside the outfit. Several scrolls were bound together with a silk tie. He untied the scrolls and looked at his legacy. Although most of the scrolls were filled with strange characters that Elijah had never seen, the last entry was a single poem in English.

_There is a flower growing in the wall._

_A wall built from masons of hate._

_Yet the flower was created with love._

_Love that gives the flower strength._

_Strength to break even the mightiest of walls._

"I understand, father," Elijah whispered.

Elijah gathered his fallen teacher's body and returned to the gardens. When Tagami had designed the gardens, he knew that plants needed to be compatible to grow next to each other. Wanting a variety of plants, Tagami decided to build several dirt hills and mounds to separate the roots. As a result, a bonsai tree and a rose bush could thrive next to each other. Elijah knew that Tagami must have worked for years to cultivate the exact match of flowers, plants, and trees to create a masterpiece.

Carefully weighing his choices, Elijah chose the hill with the bonsai trees. First, he removed the bonsai trees and set them in water. Their roots were strong. He knew they would survive. He then dug into the mound creating a large hole. As he moved each shovel full of dirt, Elijah cried. When the hole was deep enough, Elijah gently lowered Tagami into it. Looking away from Tagami's face, he began to refill the hole. Afterwards, he replanted the bonsai trees. Like Elijah, they would grow strong from Tagami's blood.

Although he wanted to mourn, Elijah knew he had other matters to attend to. He walked over to Lucian and dragged him towards the table. As he passed the fallen vampire, the Ascalon began to vibrate. Looking into Lucian's eyes, he thought that he had seen them blink. "Did I see your eyes blink?" he asked.

No answer.

Elijah twisted the stake slightly and Lucian blinked. "Can you hear me?"

Blink.

"Blink twice if you understand me."

Blink. Blink.

"I am going to ask you questions and you are going to blink once for yes and twice for no."

Blink.

"Are you a Vampire?"

Blink.

"Are you working alone?"

Blink. Blink.

"Did someone send you?"

Blink.

"Did you want Tagami dead?"

Blink. Blink.

"I don't believe you."

Blink. Blink.

Elijah searched Lucian's pockets. He found a wallet, a book of matches, and an envelope. In the wallet was an driver's license belonging to Thomas Worthington. The matches were from a nightclub called the Viper Room. Inside the envelope was an invitation to a Masquerade Ball at the Viper Room to be held by a MacDuff. "Are you Thomas?" he asked.

Blink.

"Are you afraid of sunlight?"

Blink.

"I thought so. Would you like a chance to work on your tan?"

Blink. Blink.

"Did MacDuff send you?"

Blink.

"Is he going to be at this party?"

Blink.

"I am only going to ask this once. Will you tell me why MacDuff sent you if I move this stake?"

Blink.

Elijah carefully pulled the stake part way out of the vampire's body. Instantly, Lucian attempted to squirm away, but Elijah staked him again.

"I warned you."

He pulled Lucian to the center of the room where the sun would strike through the skylight and returned to sit next to the bonsai trees. As the hours passed slowly, Lucian could feel the morning begin as he had so many times before. Elijah, in the lotus position, watched as the first rays of sunlight sparkled across the room. Lucian's eyes widened as he saw the sunlight brighten the morning sky. Once the bright rays engulfed him, his skin turned slightly red. Elijah heard a sizzling sound similar to cooking bacon. Smoke rose from Lucian's boiled flesh. Waves of pain wiggled the body. With the stake paralyzing his heart, Lucian could not cry out. Silently and motionless Lucian burned, exploding like a log on a fire burning too hot.

It felt good to watch Lucian burn. Tagami had been his father, mother, teacher, and best friend. Elijah tried to picture a world without Tagami, and found himself remembering the past. The more Lucian burned, the more Elijah cried and the better he felt. His stomach felt empty. He thought he would vomit, but after a few dry heaves Elijah convinced himself that he would live.

He tried to find that peace that Tagami described, but only felt anger and hatred. In a dark corner of his mind, Elijah screamed for revenge. The rest of his mind concentrated on the matchbook that he turned in his hand. Although he wanted to translate the scrolls, he would go to the Viper Room first. "Hold your head well, MacDuff, I intend to have it before long."


	4. Chapter 4

The Highway West Andrew 123

Chapter Four: The Gathering

_All the world's a stage_

_And all men and women merely players_

_They have their exits and entrances_

_And one man in his time plays many parts._

_-William Shakespeare, As You Like It_

Every true arcadian dreams of the ultimate gambit where his wits, instincts, and luck are challenged in a Darwinian struggle for the ultimate prize. Waiting for his opponent, Finneas MacDuff mused upon the bitter irony of the situation. His father had played a similar game for similar stakes on a much smaller scale and lost.

"It is done," a deep voice announced from the shadows, stirring MacDuff from his meditations.

Nodding slightly, MacDuff turned from the fireplace to study the creature bold enough to enter his study without knocking. Dressed in a leather loin cloth, the beautifully chiseled black man peered at MacDuff through strands of his dreadlocks. He possessed a youthful roguish quality that MacDuff both admired and envied.

"Thank you, Mr. Murphy. You have provided an invaluable service," MacDuff complimented the statuesque man.

Scrupulously noting MacDuff's every word, Murphy detected a slight Scottish accent. To untrained eyes, MacDuff appeared to be in his early thirties. The vampire could only guess at MacDuff's real age, but rumors suggested that he had lived at least a millennium. The ancient Scottish vampire wore his auburn hair shoulder length in a style he might have worn as a young square or knight. His beard, the exact color of his hair, was carefully trimmed to have straight edges. Melancholy blue eyes quickly burst through any pretense or lie. Unlike the other Old Ones, MacDuff stubbornly wore the precise clothing styles he had always worn as a mortal. Although his kilt looked as though it had been transported in time, Murphy's spies reported that MacDuff went to great expense to have authentic kilts tailored to his special needs.

"It was part of the deal that you made with Gideon. I was simply keeping the bargain. Until the gathering, I am at your service."

"Then, they are on the way?"

"I gave the invitation to the Zhongshan Childe as you requested and as you suspected the mortal assisted her. Morrison has inspired the Fallen and the Fae to join us. All of them are here to find Sylvia as you predicted. It would appear that she was the nexus you were looking for."

"Good. I assume that you have taken care that Sylvia will not interfere with our plans tonight?"

"I did everything that you asked," Murphy stated.

"Then you may tell Gideon that the game may proceed as planned."

"He already sits at the game board. I am afraid he likes to wait for his opponents. However, he does not like the setting. He finds it too noisy and distracting. He also knows of your game plan."

"I know, but he doesn't believe the prophecy. Does he?"

"He laughed when I told him."

"But you believe, don't you?" MacDuff asked.

"You know I am Zhongshan. We have a proverb. Prophecies are like wild dogs. Sometimes they bite the hand that feeds."

"But sometimes, just sometimes, wild dogs can be trained."

"You know of the Five and what they become and yet you would still help them?"

"Whether they know it or not, by helping them, they join my side for a short while. I've already seen the outcome of this gathering and let's just say that it favors my side and leave it at that."

"You risk a lot by telling me this."

"No, I think not. Gideon would not believe you, even if you told him. I know him. I know what he desires. You do not. And, friend, I have my reasons for telling you."

"As a Zhongshan, I have seen many tricksters and many gamesmen, but none to equal you. You could sell a drowning man a glass of water."

MacDuff chuckled. "Thank you, but you are right. It is a dangerous game that I play."

"Where the stakes are your blood."

"I am willing to risk that."

"If you Old Ones want to play this game, that's up to you. Gideon won my services from the Zhongshan and so I serve. But between you and me, you both belong in a padded room."

"Why do you think I play this game tonight?" MacDuff asked.

"Who knows? You don't need power. That you already have. You have more money then you can ever spend. I suspect you have your own reason."

"That I do, lad. That I do. The reason I am playing is the same reason all of the vampires across the world fight against their brethren. Biology. All of the Blood is connected. All of the vampires spread through out the world are one. Each one of us is a single cell in a complex organism. The life-force of the Blood is constantly weeding out the weaker cells. Some believe that when all of the cells are in place a new lifeform will emerge. That is why we are driven to procreate. The life-force demands new cells even as old ones are replaced. Or so the theory goes.""Gideon, he's crazy. He plays to play. It's not an instinct anymore. Life and death don't count anymore. Points are all that matters to him. He drags my ass all over to play these stupid games, but he hasn't lost yet."

"That's what I'm counting on, Mr. Murphy. Gideon plays to lose."

"I don't understand."

"You will. Know this, it has all been planned. After tonight, we will talk about a great many things."

"They're not going to like this."

"No, I suspect they won't. I wouldn't if I were you or them."

"Once this is over, you're going to be on their shit list."

"By then, it won't matter."

"It might matter to you. It has started. You know this."

"Not all of the pieces are together yet."

"Ah, but they are. Lucian killed Tagami, but Kincaid escaped"

"And Lucian?"

"He is dead," Murphy reported.

"No loss. He was such a narrow minded fool. Immortality did not suit him at all."

"Kincaid will be hunting you, and although he is human, he is Chiyanbara and one of the Five."

"Do you think that I actually thought that Lucian could kill one of the Five? I would no more expect monkeys to recite Shakespeare."

"Then why did you have him kill Tagami?"

"Thrift! Thrift! Tagami's funeral can double as my victory celebration."

"I have found that the key to a man is to know his pleasures. What do you want, MacDuff?"

MacDuff smiled. It was the smile of the predator. "That is a far more interesting question than you realize. You are quite perceptive so I will reward you will an answer. I ordered Tagami's death because he requested it."

"Come now! Don't tease me like a Childe. You can't mean that a Chiyanbara Master asked you to give him the final death, do you?" Murphy asked perplexed.

"In the end, he run out of options."

"Come now, confess. You are the trickster."

"Ha! Not in the sense that you mean, lad."

"Ghandrun is here, and there is nothing we can do about it," Murphy whispered.

"You mean the end? There is always something we can do about it. The Americans have a saying: If life sends you lemons, make lemonade. I'm about to go into business for myself. There's a place for you, if you take it."

"You dance in the fire, MacDuff."

"It is my choice."

"You know that He has returned now, don't you? My spies have already reported seeing Jack Covell. And we both know that where Covell is, He can not be far behind. What are we to do?"

"Frankly, I'm afraid I don't know whom you are talking about. Perhaps if you could mention His name."

"You know if I name Him, he hears."

"Then call him by his new name."

"Iron John? Names have a power of their own. I'm not about to give His new name strength," Murphy whispered.

"You do not understand Him. No one ever has. He can not directly face us. That would be against the rules by which He has bound himself. Your question doesn't apply to him. Remember what happened last time."

"Yes. And he stood against the world," Murphy said.

"Not directly. He will make His presence known through the Five. They will be His hand."

"All the more reason not to fight them. Let them do their business and go."

"Their business will be done, and so will mine."

"Yes, but what about after that?"

"Afterwards, they shall be left to me. It is how the game works, Mr. Murphy."

The sleek black limo stopped short of the curb of the Viper Room. The driver slid out of the front seat, walked to the passenger's door, opened it and bowed. A tall figure wearing a long, thick ebony cloak emerged from the limo like a butterfly struggling free of the cocoon.

Curious, several reporters and photographers attempted to catch a glimpse of the figure's face and failed. Almost as an afterthought, the figure pulled back the hood to examine his environment. Despite the silk scarf wrapped around his face, the Chiyanbara's vision was unclouded. Under the cloak, the Chiyanbara wore a skintight black uniform that looked like a cross between a ninja jumpsuit and combat fatigues. Several small metal and wooden tools were strapped inside the various pockets and folds of the uniform. A single gold broadsword hilt poked out behind his neck through the cloak.

Typically, the Chiyanbara would have drawn stares and attracted too many questions. On this night, he blended into the crowd of urban cowboys, nuns, Freddy Kruger, Elvis impersonators, aliens, and other costumed freaks attempting to enter the legendary Viper Room.

The enormous brick nightclub had to be at least four stories high, but it was difficult to tell because the higher levels did not have windows. Although the architecture style was gothic, the modern punk world crept into the aura through the music. Causally, the Chiyanbara ignored the line that twisted like a Chinese dragon and presented his invitation to the bulky doorman. "What the Hell do you want?" the doorman asked.

"I am the Chiyanbara," Elijah Kincaid said softly.

"Never heard of you. Get to the end of the line!" he barked.

"Certainly," Elijah answered earnestly. "I thought you would like this returned to you. You dropped it before."

As the sweating doorman prepared to motion to the other bouncers, a glint of gray-greenish paper caught his eyes. Slowly, the Chiyanbara placed the thick wad of cash in the doorman's greasy hands. Feeling the bulk of the bundle, the doorman estimated that he was holding around six hundred dollars. "Right this way, sir," he said, slurring the words, as he opened the door for Kincaid.

Elijah smiled. He had been uncertain how he was going to enter the Viper Room until he remembered the television shows that he had watched in order to learn about America. In _Magnum P.I.,_ Thomas Magnum always bribed the doorman with a considerable amount of money. He only hoped that he used the correct amount of money for the bribe.

"What is that, by the way?" the doorman asked pointing at Kincaid's broadsword hilt.

"This? This is nothing. . ." Elijah said as he dropped another wad of cash into the doorman's hand.

"You know. . .I must have had something in my eyes."

"That is what I thought."

"Please, sir, walk this way and if there is anything I can do for you, let me know."

Glancing at the line of people waiting to enter the Viper Room, Elijah wondered if any of them were the allies that Iron John had mentioned. Walking through the door, the Chiyanbara stepped into a grotesque domain of eclectic creatures. Although the room was dark, several laser lights sliced across the darkness. The air reeked as though it had been recycled a dozen times pummeling dizziness into Elijah's skull. Smoke covered the room like a wet blanket.

Gradually his eyes adjusted to the shifting pattern of light and darkness and he quickly scanned the room.

The room, which looked as gigantic as a warehouse, had been divided into two levels. A huge polished dance floor dominated the ground level. In the thin strips of walkway around the dance floor were several tables, all of which were occupied. Twin staircases snaked around the dance floor, leading to the second floor.

Worming his way through the crowd, Elijah began to sweat. The crowd collated around him. The air stank of sweat and motion causing his throat to tense. Pupils dilated fearfully.

"Think! Think!" he muttered like a mantra.

Memories of Tagami filtered through his fear. In the distance, he could almost see him waving towards him and calling him closer. Elijah closed his eyes and focused on Tagami Sensei and revenge. His anger built up a wall against the fear. Tagami once said that anger is a weak defense against fear. Like a firecracker, anger burns itself out quickly. True courage lasts like a mountain. Inside, Elijah apologized to Tagami Sensei. Anger was all that he had left.

Once he opened his eyes, he began to breathe easier. On the far wall an enormous sound system assailed his ears. To the left of the sound system an elevator waited to take people to the upper floors. Next to the elevator, a flight of stairs descended into a dark tunnel.

Elijah attempted to work his way through the crowd, but the sheer volume of people blocked his path. It was almost as if the crowd were a giant mass of shaking flesh. He would never get through this wall of people. Looking up, almost as though he expected divine intervention, Elijah remembered the second level.

Secure on the second floor, Elijah surveyed the room. The crowd mingled like ants assaulting a picnic. He would never find Bucky in this crowd until the mad imp made his move. Frustrated, Elijah elected to investigate the second level. Aside from the standard crowd of costumed partiers, the Chiyanbara noticed two shadowy figures hunched intensely over a small table. Curious, the Chiyanbara crept closer. Astonished, Elijah paused. Two men, one dressed like a Scottish clansman and one attired like a cowboy, were playing chess.

"Next!" the doorman bellowed.

"That would be me," a female voice crooned.

Quickly the doorman focused on the source of the voice. She was a wet dream given form: long, curled blonde hair, blue eyes the color of a perfect summer day, and teeth so clear you could almost see your reflection in them. Her breasts were just like he liked them; big and barely covered. Her long, black lace dress contrasted her soft white skin. Without missing a beat, the doorman smiled smoothly.

"What do you want, my lady?"

"Inside."

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"Every man's fantasy."

Licking his lips, the doorman decided he loved her already. "Can I see your invitation?" he asked.

She opened her small purse and examined the contents for a few seconds. "I think I forgot it," she wined.

The doorman's eyebrows raised giving the distinct impression of a wolf. "I can't let you in without an invitation."

"I have to get in. My best friend in the whole world is in there!" she begged.

"No exceptions, sorry."

"Isn't there anything I can do?" she asked.

"Give me your phone number," he said coyly.

She seemed to think for a second. "Okay."

Slowly, she unscrewed the cap to her lip stick and wrote a number on his arm. "So you don't forget who I am," she said with a smile.

"I won't. You can bet on that!" he said, excited.

With the speed and grace of a gorilla, he opened the door for her. Slowly, she slinked past the bouncers and kissed the air. Like a wolf, the doorman sniffed catching a whiff of her perfume. If he wasn't working right now, he would take her back home. He thought about skipping out, but then he remembered what happened to the last guy that skipped out on the boss. MacDuff still had him mounted on a wall on the third floor.

"Thanks," she mewed.

As she strutted past, the doorman wrapped his hairy arm around her waist. The reek of rotting fish puzzled him. She laughed and pushed him back gentlly. Although the touch was soft, a powerful force knocked him off balance crashing onto the sidewalk. Several people laughed from the crowd. Angry, he slammed his fist into the ground.

"Bye now," she whispered.

With a big dopey smile, the doorman nodded his head. Taking ten steps into the Viper Room, she has already gathered a flock of smiling men offering to buy her a drink. It took several minutes to convince them that she was uninterested. The reek of dead fish overwhelmed their senses encouraging them to leave. "This is how it's supposed to be," she thought as she turned from her suitors.

Detecting the heinous scent, she glanced around her to see if anyone was watching her. Closing her eyes, the Playmate opened her mind.

**YOU CAN BECOME VISIBLE NOW!**

A humanoid shape slithered out of the darkness. The lights from the laser show reflected off his sickly white skin. A few strands of white hair escaped his black fedora. It was the face that could sink a thousand ships. "You are a fine actress, Cassie," Caliban complimented her.

"Thanks, Gary, I've never had a chance to act much. Not many roles for a fat girl. Know what I mean?"

"People make their own roles. Speaking of which, please call me Caliban in public. Oh and you might want to dispel the illusion. We'll need you at full strength if we're going to find Sylvia and get her out of here," the monster replied.

"I know. I'm not that stupid."

The dream frowned, closed her eyes, and then dispelled the glamour and returned the reality of being Cassie Byron. "Ariel told me I'd be able to change my shape with pratice."

"Someone could have seen you. The vampires don't like rogues invading their turf!" Caliban whispered.

"It's so dark in here that no one can see much of anything. Besides, Mr. Fallen, with all of the flashing lights no one will be able to tell the difference. You worry too much!"

"True. True. They can only torture my body for centuries exploring new territories of pain yet undreamed of."

"Do you see Sylvia?" Cassie asked, trying to change the subject.

"No. But she could be standing right in front of me with a sign marked kidnapping victim here and I wouldn't know the difference."

"What about the allies the whistling dude told me about?"

"They will have to find us. What about your Fairy Eyes? Can you use them in here?"

"Its hard to even Mindspeak in here, I'm afraid to use them in here."

"Do it," Caliban told her.

Cassie nodded then opened her Fairy Eyes. The dark world of the Viper Room became a circus of wicked lights. To her surprise, many of the people in costumes were supernatural. Dark lines of power circled the Viper Room. Cassie figured these lines must have prevented her from scanning the building before she entered it. Cimmerian beings with nefarious vigor mingled with corrupted mortals. Her Fairy Eyes carefully scanned the room until they reached the void. Like an octopus, the void slithered across the Viper Room. The single bright light in the room of darkness was trapped within the void. Cassie knew that in order for her to detect this light, the soul burning the light had to be exceptionally strong and almost angelic in nature.

**IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM!**

"That is the dance floor," Caliban told her.

**ABOVE IT! EVIL! DARKNESS!**

"What the Hell do you mean our invitations are expired?" the dark skinned nun barked.

The doorman smiled. Even through the nun habits, he could see that both of them had nice bodies. Granted their breast were too small for his tastes, but he followed the pizza theory of sex. Like pizza, even bad sex was better than no sex.

"I'm sorry, but those invitations weren't supposed to be passed out," the doorman told them.

"If you don't let us in, I'm going to. . ." the white nun warned the doorman.

"Marguerite, ya can catch more flies with honey." the second nun interrupted her with a thick southern accent. "M' name is Ruthie Jones. What can we do ta convince ya to let us in?"

He liked the second nun better than the first. To begin with, she looked as though she could actually be a nun. Innocence made him harder than almost anything.

"Well, I can think of a few things you two can do, if you're willing that is," the doorman told them.

Marguerite menacingly stared into the doorman's eyes. As he opened his mouth to suggest a three way sexual marathon, the nun's eyes turned scarlet like a neon sign. Pausing, the doorman stared unsure of what to do or believe. He could feel her anger. Deep inside his stomach, the doorman could feel the rumble of ancestral memories; the fear of being prey.

_"You will let us in and not bother anyone else," _ Marguerite ordered.

"Yes ma'am," the doorman muttered as he opened the door

Marguerite leaned over to whisper into his ears. _"You have two hours before I begin my hunt. If I catch you, I will suck you dry,_" she whispered.

The doorman turned pale as though he was sick.

"Oh and see a doctor, ya look sick," Ruthie advised him.

"Yes ma'am," the doorman responded.

Once inside, Ruthie pulled Marguerite closer to her. "What in the name of Heaven did ya tell him?" she asked.

Marguerite almost smiled. She loved the sound of Ruthie's southern accent. It had a musical sensuality quality to it. "I said 'you might be able to catch more flies with honey, but you can kill more with vinegar.'"

Ruthie laughed. It was good to hear her laugh. "Can you see anything?" she asked.

Marguerite slipped her sunglasses on to disguise her glowing scarlet eyes. Once of the benefits of being part of the Blood was the ability to see in the dark. Even with her night vision, the crowd distracted her too much to focus on any one point.

"I can see okay, but I don't see anything yet. You have that picture?"

"In my purse, do you want it?"

"Not yet. We don't want to piss in anyone's cornflakes until we have to."

"Interesting game," MacDuff muttered as he studied his opponent.

Although Gideon had lived more than two thousand years, he looked as though he were a few months short of being a man. Like MacDuff, Gideon was one of the Blood. His face looked as though he were too young to drink alcohol in this modern world. His features reminded MacDuff of the Slavic people of Eastern Europe. His hair was short, black, and curly. Although he was short and lean by modern standards, nearly five feet five and a hundred pounds, Gideon could lift a small automobile with one hand. His almond eyes studied the chess board. "It would of been better if you'd a picked a better location."

MacDuff smiled. "You have lost your Russian accent."

"I haven't have a accent in a hundred years. Ya'll should know that."

MacDuff laughed. "True. It's been a long time, friend."

"We're no friends."

"We are. You just don't know it," MacDuff insisted sadly.

"Then join the posse. The Shadow Lord could use a man like you."

"I hate to use clichŽs but I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees."

"You'll start shiting bricks when he starts whooping ass and taking names."

"Remember when we walked the world together? Remember when we visited Spain?" MacDuff asked, hoping to stir Gideon's memory.

"Oh yeah, I remember Spain! Ya let the damn priest burn me!"

"Let the priest burn you? You decided you wanted to kill the girl not I," MacDuff protested.

"Yeah, and ya didn't stop the guard from sounding the alarm. I had to hide underground for almost a hundred fucking years."

"Can't you see what is happening to you? Your mind has been twisted. He has lied to you."

"Don't rag on 'em or game or no I'll rip off your lying head and shit down your throat!"

"Forgive me, old friend. I didn't know the old priest had true faith," MacDuff apologized.

"I killed 'em and thousands more. When the Shadow Lord rides into town, we'll russle them up into camps and hunt every last one of them bastards."

With bravo, Gideon shifted his knight into a striking position. Ignoring his opponent, MacDuff concentrated on the chess game. He could hardly wait until Gideon met Ruthie Jones.

Observing the game from a distance in the blasting nightclub, Elijah had to read the players' lips in order to understand the conversation. It was virtually impossible to understand Gideon, but he managed to put together pieces of the dialogue. "You could have at least picked better pieces. None of the ones you have are fit to be pawns."

"That may be, but even a pawn can become a queen," MacDuff told him as he moved the White Knight closer to the black rook.

**HE IS HERE!**

"Who?" Caliban asked.

**MORRISON!**

Caliban searched the crowd, but could not locate Morrison. Despite the enormous danger, he enjoyed being around people. People took his face as a mask and hardly gave him a second glance. A few wondered about the smell, but none traced it to him. Having spent the last year alone, Caliban almost forgot how to move through a party. Although Sylvia was important, protecting Cassie took precedence. Gary Ernest had always believed that women were warm cunts you put your dick in without a single thought. Caliban had grown past that belief. Watching Cassie and her friends sparked a fire of understanding. Last night, Cassie looked past his ugliness and hugged him.

Glancing back at Cassie, Caliban wondered if she knew how important that act of kindness was to him. He still remembered the time Father decided it was time to make him a man. Father had said it was a Sunday drive and Gary Ernest didn't know any better. Parking in the red light district, Father rolled down the tinted windows of his sleek European car and bought him a girl. She couldn't have been more than fifteen, about the same age as Gary had been. Gary couldn't even remember her name. Maybe he never knew.

After dropping them off at a hotel, Father gave orders to the girl. He told her the exact things he wanted Gary to learn. He never called her by her name either. He kept calling her "little whore." He seemed more excited than Gary. Once he left, she performed like a trained monkey. Technically, Gary lost his virginity. That was the lesson Father taught too well.

Cassie's hug meant more to him than all of his wealth and conquests.

Seeing Cassie motion him to move to the center of the room, Caliban stopped daydreaming. Holding her hand, Caliban beat a path to the center of the dance floor. Once in the center, Cassie lost the trail. Cassie wiped her eyes with her hand to get the sweat out of her eyes. The dance floor was like a jungle; hot, humid, and dangerous.

"He has to be here somewhere," Cassie told him.

"Yes, he does," a low voice whispered in her ear from behind.

Startled, Cassie jerked alerting Caliban. Both turned to face a tall man with extremely wild blonde hair, who was dressed like a pirate. He had the face of a fallen angel driven mad. "Fancy seeing you two here."

"We want Sylvia now, Morrison."

"I'm afraid she is unavailable right now. I'll have to do."

Frightened, Cassie tensed her muscles and focused her will like Ariel had taught her. Her genes heard the call of the Fae. To the mortals around her, it appeared as though Cassie imploded to the size of a child's doll. Cassie's height and weight portions remained the same, except that she was slightly shorter than a barbie doll. Large glittering wings had sprouted from her back enabling her to fly faster than a bumblebee. Frantic, Cassie wiggled out of her lace dress that at her current size looked like a massive silk mountain. Once free, Cassie leapt into the air. Her wings combined with fairy magic propelled Cassie as such a fast speed that she appeared to be no more than a beam of light.

Gideon moved his Black Queen to take the White Bishop. Rather than removing the White Bishop, the cowboy vampire waited. Both Gideon and MacDuff watched the pieces with intense deliberation. An uncanny emerald glow surrounded the square and both pieces vanished.

"Ya know we don't have to do this."

"I'll not bow down to the Shadow Lord."

"Ya know he has more power than both of us combined. Join up and we'll burn the whole stinking world."

"The game is afoot, old friend. Let us see who wins."

The freak within rumbled. Smiling wickedly, Morrison initiated the metamorphosis. Bursting through his pirate costume, bones broke and reformed. Muscles grew larger and more powerful. Light brown fur sprouted sporadically through out his body. His bulging chest muscles ripped through his silk shirt and his legs split open most of his trousers. His hairy feet burst free from his boots. His face grew outwards like a wolf. His ears stretched and became canine. Powerful predator fangs grew from his mouth. Sharp claws germinated from his fingers. The beast that Cassie felt was released. Morrison became the freak, the beast, the manwolf.

Trying to avoid a fight in a public place, Caliban stepped back and disappeared. Morrison howled cutting through the noise and music. Quickly, the DJ shut the sound system down, leaving a moment of silence.

_"I can still smell you, fool!"_

Morrison leapt towards Caliban's scent. His blow knocked Caliban to the ground crushing a few bystanders. With cries of hysteria the crowd stampeded from the center of the room.

Enraged, Morrison bit into Caliban's arm, gnawing at it like a chicken bone. The pain forced Caliban to reappear. Instinctively, he raised his other arm and struck Morrison on the nose with all of his strength. The strength of the blow shocked the manwolf into opening his jaws freeing Caliban's shredded arm.

"You leave me no choice," Caliban warned, pointing a finger at him.

A bolt of flame shot from his finger to strike Morrison. Like a hot iron rammed into snow, the extreme pain wrecked havoc. The flames and mist of smoke splattered over his fur like a mushroom cloud. Much to Caliban's surprise, the manwolf continued to stand and advance towards him. Despite the flame, Morrison cackled like the devil. The flame caused several hideous burns, but did not seem to have seriously damaged the manwolf.

"It will take much more than that to kill me. I heal real quick. No matter what you do to me, I'll always be back," he hissed.

From the second floor, Elijah Kincaid, the Chiyanbara, watched the aberrant battle with extreme interest. The hairy one he knew was a werewolf and through his training he knew it was silver that werewolves feared. The ugly creature was one of the Fallen. Tagami only briefly mentioned the Fallen so he was unsure of what weapons to use against it. Neither the werewolf or the Fallen were the ones Kincaid currently hunted. Tagami had always stressed the importance of focusing his attention on one battlefront at a time. All of his life, Tagami had trained him for battles such as these. Watching this fight, Elijah Kincaid knew he was destined to hunt creatures such as this. He knew it was his lot to hold a candle to the darkness.

As soon as Morrison became the manwolf, Ruthie Jones moved to help the other creature. As far as she was concerned, Morrison attacked first so he was evil. Marguerite jerked her back.

"You don't know either of them," she barked.

"We have to stop them before they hurt each other. Besides one of the could be the ally Iron John promised."

"And either one of them could be holding Sylvia, we wait," Marguerite told her, holding Ruthie by the shoulder.

**TURN INVISIBLE. I HAVE YOU COVERED.**

Caliban nodded to show Cassie that he understood her message. Knowing Morrison, Caliban guessed that he would take the offensive. While he was strong enough to lift a truck, he knew he could not hope to beat Morrison in a straight fight. Morrison fought in the streets to survive as a kid, Gary Ernest learned Latin and business law and computer programming. To make his escape, Caliban decided that he would have to wait until Morrison leapt. Enraged, Morrison flew through the air, ready to strike the Fallen. Caliban became Unseen and stepped aside causing Morrison to missed him entirely.

Morrison crouched low and sniffed the room. Even with the scents of the crowd, he should have detected Caliban's scent. Somehow it was being masked. Angry, he slashed the closest person, a blond woman wearing a revealing nurse uniform. With a smile on his lips, Morrison licked the blood off of his claws.

_"Come out and fight or I'll kill every stinking human here!" _

Elijah Kincaid could allow two supernatural creatures to kill each other. After all, it would be one less for him to deal with after Bucky and MacDuff. The Chiyanbara code taught that evil always turned on evil. However, he could not allow anyone, supernatural or otherwise, to kill a woman. Iron John had told him to follow his heart and he would find great allies. A second after his brain processed the information that the woman was dead, he drew his broadsword, Ascalon. With a single graceful action, Elijah vaulted the protective bars for the second level and landed on the ground level like an Olympic gymnast.

Morrison turned to see the Chiyanbara standing before him. Holding Ascalon aggressively, Elijah leered at him. "I am the Chiyanbara. . . .if you want to fight, try me!"

From the way the blade shined in the dim room, Morrison knew it was magical. It had the essence of a sword he had fought long ago. The shapeshifters called this sword Telium; the Eradicator. This meant that the mortal was Chiyanbara. Still, he was only a human. _"Does the little mortal want to play?"_ Morrison asked as he stepped closer.

Ascalon, sensing enemies, vibrated in his hand. "Only with your head," Elijah told him.

Like most werewolves, Morrison could smell fear in his prey. Even from Gideon and MacDuff, Morrison sensed this fear. From Elijah Kincaid, he could sense nothing but anger and hatred. Quickly, Morrison swiped at Elijah, who skillfully parried the blow. Elijah attempted to counter attack, but Morrison blocked his other arm from moving.

Unseen, Caliban rabbit punched Morrison from behind. The massive blow forced Morrison to his knees. The animal rage erupted inside Morrison like he had never before experienced. Amazing speed and strength gushed into his limbs. Like a cat, Morrison swiped Elijah's legs out from under him. As Elijah fell to the floor, Morrison turned and instinctively sliced into the air. Surprised at Morrison's speed, Caliban could not react before the attack. Morrison's claws sliced deep into Caliban's invisible throat. Green slime oozed from the wound forcing Caliban to become visible.

Cheering, the manwolf raised his arm to strike Caliban again. As Morrison tried to press his advantage, Elijah sprinted in front of Caliban and parried the nefarious blow.

While Elijah defended Caliban, a thin blue streak of light circled above Caliban's body. An instant later, Cassie appeared, human size and naked. Crying, Cassie rushed to Caliban. Dizzy, the Fallen reached for her. Eagerly, Cassie reached for his hand, but to her surprise she passed through it as though he were a ghost or an illusion. Looking confused, Caliban faded from sight into nothingness. Horrified, Cassie waved her hands in a circular motion, hoping to find him. "NO!" she screamed.

Elijah heard Cassie scream, but did not have the time to look behind him. Circling Ascalon in a defensive arc, he waited for the manwolf to strike.

_"Give it up now, and I won't hurt you much. All I want is the girl!"_ Morrison told him.

When Marguerite was ten, the boys at Sister Mary's Home for Children decided to teach her to act like a girl. During the daily ritual of football, she must have been brutally tackled a hundred times. Later that night, Marguerite swore she would kill every one of them. While she never acted on her threat, Marguerite never forgot the pain. Since that day, Marguerite built a wall of distrust around her heart. Because she was female, something different, the men in her world seemed to want to control or dominate her. Even Brad, the so called knight in shining armor, turned out to be another asshole. The only man that had never burned her was Iron John.

When Murphy attacked Ruthie last night, old memories resurfaced that Marguerite knew were better off dead. She would be damned if she was going to let anyone, even a werewolf, kill more women.

"You want to fight?" Marguerite asked as she fought her way out of the crowd, "Stick your head up your ass and fight for air!"

_"Another mortal to play with. Ha! Tonight I will eat well!"_ Morrison howled.

Marguerite plucked her sunglasses off her head to expose glowing scarlet eyes. With one swift move, she ripped her nun habit off revealing her standard dress of a faded leather jacket and ripped jeans. Quickly, she morphed her hands into claws and smiled showing off her fangs.

_"Not tonight!" _she growled.

Morrison stepped back surprised. He knew that he had put Caliban out of the fight. However, the swordsman carried the magical Telium and was a threat, even if he was a mortal. The fairy he had already known about, but he guessed that she would be distracted for a few more minutes mourning for the death of the Fallen. It was the vampire that worried him. Combined, the vampire and swordsman could kill him.

While looking for an opening in Morrison's defense, Kincaid pondered his options. Although the dark skinned woman was a vampire, she seemed to be on Elijah's side for the moment. As long as she didn't backstab him, Elijah decided he could kill her later. For now, he needed her. The Chiyanbara smiled and fingered Morrison to come closer.

**BE CAREFUL. MORRISON CAN HEAL JUST ABOUT ANYTHING!**

Elijah looked around him for a second. He thought he had heard a voice in his head, but then it disappeared. Sensing distraction in his opponent, Morrison attacked pushing the subject out of his mind. With his first strike, Morrison cut into Elijah's right hand forcing him to drop Ascalon. Morrison's second strike, Elijah managed to parry with his other arm. The painful slash forced Elijah to hold his right hand under his left armpit.

Morrison swung to slice into Elijah again, but Marguerite caught his claw midway. Astonishing Morrison, Marguerite managed to push him backwards knocking him onto his back.

"Back off hairball!" Marguerite warned Morrison.

Observing Cassie naked lying on the ground, Ruthie rushed to her side. Cassie looked up, eyes full of tears, to see a nun kneeling down to her. "Easy girl, everything's going to be okay," Ruthie told her.

Caliban. . .Gary was gone. Despite the fact that she had known him for less than twenty four hours, he knew her better than anyone else ever could. "No, it won't. Not for a long time."

Morrison rolled over and jumped to his feet. Kincaid and Marguerite attempted to circle him. Furious, he shrieked! He could feel the hatred burn within him, giving him strength.

"Nice try. I stopped being scared of anything a year ago."

While Marguerite kept Morrison occupied, Elijah cut a piece of his cloak to bandage his hand. Morrison sniffed the air. He could almost smell the defeat. He knew that the longer he waited, the greater the chance that the others had to defeat him. Savagely, he jumped onto Marguerite.

Wildly, his claws and fangs bit into her. Although she tried to beat him off, Morrison dug his claws deep into her flesh. She could feel her blood draining onto the floor. Morrison opened his mouth to bite Marguerite on the neck, snapping her head free from her body. Opening his massive jaws to bite, Morrison could feel a prick through his neck. Worried, Morrison closed his mouth. He had lost all feeling in his body. Smiling, he expected that his head would detach from his body dropping onto the floor. Instead, Morrison slowly faded from view. Like Caliban, Morrison simply ceased to exist.

Startled, Marguerite and Elijah looked into each others eyes. For a brief moment, both felt kinship. "I didn't think he could turn invisible," said the vampire

Elijah looked over to the second level. The two men were still playing. "The other creature disappeared in the same manner. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark!" he proclaimed.

Marguerite wiped some of the blood off of her. Normally she would have feasted, but she could sense the taint in Morrison's blood. Instead, she pushed her mystical blood through her body to heal her wounds. A few seconds later, Marguerite's wounds were gone. She hoped she could find Sylvia and get the Hell out of the Viper Room.

Elijah removed his cloak and wrapped it around Cassie. "Allow me, my lady. If I may be so bold, we should leave," he told her.

Through the fog of despair, Cassie wondered what she should do. The man dressed in black seemed nice. He covered her with his cloak almost like a medieval knight. Both he and the wild Mexican woman with the demon eyes tried to protect Caliban, which meant they couldn't be that bad. The nun held Cassie close in her arms like a baby. It had been a long time since anyone had held her close. Could these be the allies, the Whispering Dude mentioned? Not knowing what else to do, Cassie hugged Ruthie. "What about Caliban?" she asked.

"If you mean the Fallen, he is gone," Elijah answered bluntly.

"What about Sylvia?" Cassie asked.

Tagami had burned into Elijah Kincaid's mind the importance of protecting women. While the feral Mexican woman clearly did not need protection, the nun and the naked fat girl did. Iron John had told him to expect new allies.

"Who?" Elijah asked, frustrated.

"How do you know Sylvia?" Ruthie asked, ignoring Elijah.

Ruthie would talk until morning if Marguerite let her. Iron John had mentioned allies who become a second family. It looked like she had found them. They had to regroup and plan their next move. The naked fat girl needed protection. Marguerite assumed that she had been close with the Fallen. Once they were safe, Marguerite had a few questions for her since she claimed to know Sylvia. The swordsman could fight. He also protected Cassie and tried to avenge the other woman that Morrison killed. That much she had to give him credit for. Still, he might have had other motives. "We don't have time for this, something's up," Marguerite told them.

"Someone else could attack soon," Elijah agreed.

"Let's leave and come back," Ruthie suggested.

"Once we leave, we'll never be able to get back in," Marguerite countered.

"The Labyrinth!" Cassie said.

"What is the Labyrinth?" Elijah asked.

"It's in the basement here. Its where all of the Goths hang out. Barker and Rice told me all about it," Cassie reported.

"Who are Barker and Rice?" Ruthie asked.

"That's not important right now." Marguerite interrupted, "We have to get the Hell out of Dodge."

While Elijah did not understand how, he knew that the chess game was the center piece in this conflict. Somehow the game reflected or changed reality. It needed to be stopped before anyone would be safe. "You three go ahead, I have something I want to check first," Elijah told them.

Making certain that Cassie was covered, Marguerite and Ruthie helped her stand and walked towards the stairs. While walking under the second level, Cassie opened her Fairy Eyes. Quickly, she scanned the room searching for mortals only to find that Ruthie and Elijah were the only mortals left in the Viper Room. The others were watching and waiting.

Next to the elevator, a flight of stairs descended into a dark tunnel. Cassie told them that the Labyrinth had been built under the Viper Room. Although both clubs had their own entrances, a set of stairs connected the two night clubs. While Marguerite thought it was stupid to build two clubs next to each other, she decided to give the tunnel a chance. Holding hands so that Marguerite could guide them in the darkness, the trio entered the dark tunnel.

Elijah climbed the stairs that lead to the second level. Although half of the crowd had left, it should have been difficult for Elijah to work his way through the crowd. Surprisingly, the remaining people carved a path for him. It was almost as thought they knew where he was going and feared him. Once he reached the second level, he walked straight to the chess game.

The White Bishop had been removed from the board. In response, MacDuff had moved the White Knight to take the Black Rook. It was now the cowboy's turn. "It would appear that your choices have become interesting after all, MacDuff," Gideon complemented MacDuff.

"We will see," MacDuff responded.

"You are MacDuff?" Elijah asked.

"I am," MacDuff answered.

"The rules call for no interruption of the players, or all pieces are forfeit," Gideon stated.

"This game ends now," Elijah told them as he twirled Ascalon in an offensive position.

MacDuff looked up at Elijah. He was a brave mortal. That much MacDuff gave him credit for. In a small sense, Elijah Kincaid was the man that MacDuff could never be. "You understand the meaning of this game?" he asked as Gideon moved his Bishop into a striking position.

"Every time you move a piece, someone gets attacked. This ends now! Besides you and I have unfinished business," Elijah told him.

"That much is true, but if the game ends, my players are forfeit."

Horror danced in Elijah stomach. "The others?" he asked.

"All die instantly," MacDuff explained.

"Either play or forfeit!" Gideon demanded.

Ignoring Elijah, MacDuff resumed the game. The majority of his pieces were already taken by Gideon. This much he had planned for. To Gideon's surprise, the White Knight, Elijah Kincaid, had taken the Black Rook, Morrison. All MacDuff had left were four pieces; two Knights, a Bishop, and his Queen.

MacDuff smiled. Gideon would be quite shocked when he played his final piece. After reflecting on the situation on the chess board, MacDuff moved the second White Knight into a position to move against the Black King. "Bold move! Bold move!" Gideon complimented him.

Almost instantly, Gideon moved his Black Knight to take the second White Knight. With a sinister moment of silence, Elijah, Gideon, and MacDuff stared at the board. After observing an emerald flash engulf the two pieces, Elijah looked at MacDuff square in the eyes. "This has only just begun!" he warned MacDuff.

Quickly, Elijah darted down the stairs to the ground level and then fought his way to the Labyrinth. Once he opened the door, he could already hear the sounds of battle.


	5. Chapter 5

The Highway West Andrew 158

Chapter Five: The Gambit

_It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, was the epoch of belief, it was the season of light, it was the season of Darkness._

_Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities_

Walking blind, clutching Marguerite's hand, it occurred to Ruthie that once she prayed to be tested in her faith. Like Mama always said, "Be careful what you wish for."

Standing before a huge steel enforced door at the end of the tunnel, Marguerite released both Cassie and Ruthie's hand. While Cassie and Ruthie were blinded by the darkness, Marguerite's eyes were in their natural environment. To her, the shadows and darkness were merely a different shade of color. Discovering a small piece of glass on the floor, Marguerite picked it up and examined it. The texture of the glass suggested that it was a special type of glass. She rolled the glass in her hand for a moment before she realized that it was a piece of a light bulb. Someone had purposely broken it to make the tunnel dark.

"What is it?" Ruthie asked.

Hearing Ruthie's Southern accent put a smirk on her lips. "A piece of the light bulb," she answered.

"I find it hard to believe that the owners would be so lax," Ruthie replied earnestly.

"It was done on purpose," Cassie snapped.

"Can you do anything special other than turn into a fly?" Marguerite asked Cassie.

"Marguerite!" Ruthie exclaimed, "She's been through a lot."

"I don't know what's going on, but I don't like it. I don't have time to be Mary Poppins from the South! Snap out of it, both of you!"

Cassie looked over to Marguerite. In the dark she was a vague, ominous shape. While she couldn't be certain, Cassie suspected that she was a vampire. If that was true, Marguerite had been blessed with what Cassie had wanted all of her life. Yet, Marguerite was a different cast of vampire than Cassie could understand. She understood the suave creature of the night from her horror novels, not a wild woman with deadly claws. "Cast illusions and. . . and. . . see things about people," she stuttered.

"Like what?" Marguerite asked.

"I know you're not h. . .h. . .human."

"Don't be afraid honey, we can help ya. Though we walk through the valley of evil, we shall not fear," Ruthie tried to soothe her.

"I may not be human, but I bet you're not either. We'll hash this out later. Right now we're gonna have to get through the crowd in there," Marguerite told Cassie. "Can you do it?"

Cassie wiped away a tear. "Yeah. Thrill me."

"Good. We need a place to regroup. Any suggestions?" the vampire asked.

"Someplace private," Ruthie answered.

"Duh!" Cassie taunted.

"Sounds like a plan," Marguerite said, ignoring Cassie.

Cassie closed her eyes and concentrated on her playmate illusion. It had taken her a few hours to decide to use this image. Part of her enjoyed the attention the men gave her, even though she knew it was the image and not her that excited them. However, wearing the image shamed a small hidden part of her soul. Diminutive sapphire lights sparkled around her body blinking Cassie out of existence, replacing her with the form of the wet dream given form. "Not bad, I can't even tell it's not real," Marguerite muttered.

The Viper Room embodied wealth, class, and high fashion; the Labyrinth was its polar opposite. A twisted twin dancing in the reflection of a sick mirror. A year after the Viper Room had already established its reputation, MacDuff opened the Labyrinth. Despite their close proximity, the Viper Room and the Labyrinth were worlds apart. Ruthie could see men and women dancing in a circle to a thrashing electric beat. Each would dance in a circle slamming into others. All of them screamed as though their life depended on it. A tall skinhead slipped during the dance, and his friends gave him no mercy. Several of them kicked him and a few elbowed his face. He emerged from the beating with a bloody smile on his face.

"O' Lord, what's this?" Ruthie exclaimed.

Marguerite could see Ruthie mouth words, but the screams combined with the music drowned out any other sounds.

"What? I can't hear you!" Marguerite yelled.

"What's this?!" Ruthie cried.

"You've never seen a mosh pit! What planet are you from?" Cassie asked.

The vampire answered for her innocent friend. "Alabama."

Marguerite surveyed the room for threats, acting on animal instinct. Full Metal Condom, an up and coming Thrash Ska band, played on the small stage at the east end of the large basement. On the opposite end, Marguerite noticed a large metal door, the normal entrance for the regular customers. While the Viper Room attracted the high society, the rich, and the beautiful, the Labyrinth attracted everyone in search of a thrill. Everyone from Bloodz, Cripz, skinheads, stoners, ravers and rogue college students mingled freely and wandered into the Maze.

The Maze connected the Labyrinth with a series of dark, barely lit rooms and tunnels that confused even the regular customers. Barker had told Cassie that the Labyrinth changed the Maze every few weeks so that the challenge would stay fresh. While an invitation was the only way to get into the Viper Room, courage was all you need in the Labyrinth.

Deciding to go into the Maze, Marguerite led Ruthie and Cassie through the mosh pit. A few punks decided to cop a free feel at Cassie's expense and discovered to their delight that she was naked under the cloak. Irritated, Marguerite's glowing scarlet eyes deterred any further attempts. Disappointed, the punks decided to them pass. Once through the mosh pit, they walked into the Maze.

The various paths twisted and turned like a three dimensional spider web. The darkness grew upon them. Passing by a frolicking fornicating set of leathermen, Marguerite lead the Fae and the Faithful to a dead end tunnel.

"Can you create the illusion of a wall?" Marguerite asked.

"Yeah," Cassie said.

Cassie's appearance returned to normal and her dress transformed to Kincaid's black cloak. A brick wall, much like the other walls in the Maze, appeared blocking the doorway.

"Now what?" Ruthie asked.

"Now you make the cloak look like a dress or something, while I go and get Dudley Do Right," the vampire told them.

"I don't even know your names," Cassie protested.

"Later we can go through the motions, Ruthie you two talk it out. If I don't come back soon, I want the two of you to get the Hell out of Dodge."

"We. . . Caliban and I came to find Sylvia," Cassie protested.

"Maybe you don't get it. If I don't come back, Sylvia is as good as dead," Marguerite barked.

Both Ruthie and Cassie began to cry. "Don't say that. God will work everything out," Ruthie said.

"Yeah, well He's been fucking up so far," Marguerite snapped as she walked through the wall and into the darkness.

Stepping into the Labyrinth, Elijah Kincaid saw thirty men and women engage in a massive battle. Frightened, Elijah twisted Ascalon into a defense position and waited. At first no one noticed him. Suddenly, one of the band members stopped, dropped his jaw, and pointed at Elijah Kincaid. The music stopped and everyone turned to see a man, completely dressed in black, holding a glowing broadsword. Among the modern punks, gang members, and other grunge followers, the Chiyanbara appeared to be a fallen gothic angel waiting for its prey.

Silence reigned. "Ya gonna pick your butt with that, or are ya gonna use it?" a skinhead asked.

Ignoring the braggart, Elijah scanned the crowd. He did not see Bucky or the women who were white pieces on the chess board. The one with the leather jacket and the claws could protect herself, the other two worried him.

"I am looking for three females that have passed by here," Elijah announced.

"Yer! Call the dating connection!" the British skinhead yelled.

A few of the others laughed. Elijah calmly walked over to the British Skinhead, and sheathed Ascalon. "As you would have heard me before if you had more brains than earwax, I am looking for three females that have passed through here from the Viper Room about three minutes ago," Elijah repeated himself.

"Ha! Ha! He's right you do have a lot of ear wax!" one of the American skinheads mocked the Brit.

"Ya bloody bastard!" the skinhead snarled as he pushed Elijah in the chest.

Glancing behind the British skinhead, Kincaid noticed three others preparing to enter the conflict. He smiled; now it would almost be a fair fight. Six moves and three bloody noses, a broken arm, three black eyes, and a shattered knee later, the British skinhead and his friends elected to tell Elijah where the others had gone to. "The bitches went into the Maze!"

"Where is the Maze?" Elijah asked.

"There! There!" one of his friends with a broken nose cried.

"Thank you for your time. This is for the hospital bill," Elijah explained as he dropped a wad of money.

Seeing everyone's eyes bulge at the sight of his money, Elijah threw another wad of cash to the lead singer for Full Metal Condom. "Please continue playing," Elijah instructed them as he began to walk through the mosh pit.

Everyone cleared a path for him.

"I hate Mazes!" Marguerite cursed.

While the darkness held no fear for the vampire, the twisting passages confused her. One place looked almost identical to the others. The air must be getting to her, she decided. Although vampires did not need to breathe, most did out of habit or to pass as a mortal. When she did breathe, she could smell the air and Marguerite did not enjoy discovering when someone didn't make it to the bathroom.

"Come to me, Princess."

Marguerite stopped. "Show yourself!"

"Come to me, Childe and everything will be okay," the voice told her.

Marguerite knew the voice, but she couldn't place it. All that she knew was that she wanted to find him. In the next room, Marguerite found him. Smiling, Murphy opened his arms to her.

"Nice try!" Marguerite snapped.

Although she tried to remain angry, glancing at his beautiful body softened her resolve. Instead of his trenchcoat he wore the night before, Murphy wore a thin leather loin cloth.

"You do not like me?" Murphy asked.

"What you really mean is am I enjoying you playing my emotions?" Marguerite countered trying to enforce her wall of anger.

"Play? I would never play with you," Murphy said with a sincere smile.

Marguerite had to admit that Murphy did look good. Good? Hell, Murphy was the epitome of male. His chiseled features looked as though he were an ancient Greek statue. "No, you'd just tear out my throat," Marguerite said.

"We both want the same thing, princess."

"You want to be taller too?" Marguerite asked.

"No, we both want love."

Intense memories of Sister Agatha pushing her in the tire swing pummeled her. Agatha's auburn hair glowed in the fading sun. Later that night when Marguerite knew that the boogieman was hiding under her bed and she slept with Agatha. Early in the morning, when Marguerite woke up, Agatha held her close.

Later, she remembered Brad holding her close in his Mustang. She remembered walking down the school halls holding hands with the son of the richest man in town. She remembered Brad proudly presenting her at the country club that she had worked at as a waitress the summer before. Afterwards, they went to the Hilton. For hours they kissed until the sun was about to rise. Brad never pushed her. That much she had to give him credit for. When she opened herself to him, it had been the first time since Agatha left that she let down her walls.

"Yes Childe, you need love too." Murphy said.

Pushing back the memories, Marguerite found herself in Murphy's arms. "Even the dead can feel passion," he told her.

Marguerite agreed. "Sylvia," she muttered.

"She will be okay, in fact she is in her bed now. Trust me," Murphy rocked her gently.

Marguerite slowly wrapped her arms around Murphy. She looked up and moved his sunglasses. His eyes glowed scarlet like hers. "What does it mean to fall in love, when we have eternity, Childe? I can show you," Murphy offered.

Marguerite couldn't remember why she resisted. Marguerite knew this was not her, but didn't care. She tried to remember why she had come here, but then remembered it was to see Murphy. "Yes," Marguerite told him.

"Close your eyes, little one," Murphy whispered as he rocked her.

Marguerite obeyed, fighting his commands. Once her eyes closed, she slumped down into his arms. Murphy held her, smiling his secret smile as she faded into the nothing.

Using a few hair pins and a safety pin from her purse, Ruthie managed to wrap the cloak around Cassie enough so that it covered what she termed the basic essentials. "Honey, you need to find a dress that's gonna shrink with ya. Its not decent to go out like this in public," Ruthie declared.

"Oh yeah, like that's going to happen!" Cassie snapped.

"Cassandra, I'm trying to help," Ruthie told her.

"I know. I know. I just hate waiting here. Who died and made Marguerite queen anyway? Wait! Don't answer that!"

"Lord knows I would not want to know," Ruthie agreed.

"You still believe in God? Even after all of this?" Cassie asked.

"Even more so. Its times like this when I believe the most," Ruthie explained.

"What about Marguerite? What does she believe in?"

"I don't think even she knows. What about you?"

"I never really liked going to church. Its all just a big show with uncomfortable seats. The lights dim. People sing and tell a few stories. And in the end, they pass around a plate and we pay for it. During the show, Johnny tells Sammy that he really likes Sally. The widow Jane looks for a new father for her children and the mothers compare dresses. Not my thing."

Ruthie sat silent for a moment. "Haven't you ever felt. . . a connection with God?" Ruthie asked.

"Once or twice, but never in a church," Cassie answered.

"If not the house of God, then where?"

"My friends and I like to walk around in St. Elmo's cemetery on Saturday nights."

"What? That's not decent!"

"Says the woman who walks around with vampires."

"We all live in glass houses. Sorry, graveyards have always chilled me straight to the bone."

"And vampires don't?"

"She may be a vampire, but she has the mark of God on her."

"A vampire? I thought you were one of those Fundamentalists that wave their arms and shout 'praise the Lord!'"

"I am a Fundamentalist. Mary Magdalane was a whore and yet she stood by Jesus, even when the Romans crucified him and the Disciples left him. Simon Peter denied the Lord three times, and he become the Rock of Christianity. Matthew was a tax collector. Peter, James, and John were fishermen. Jesus, Himself, was a carpenter. None of these jobs were something one aspired to in society. When I met Marguerite last night, I was worried. I can not deny her blood comes from Satan's heart, but her soul comes from God. She is here for one purpose to save a girl's life. Who am I to judge her? Only the Lord can do that."

Cassie stepped back a few feet. "You should have been a preacher," Cassie told her with a fake smile.

"We all do our part, even you."

"I wonder what's taking them so long?" asked the Fae.

"They could be lost. I'm surprised we found this dead end ourselves," Ruthie tried to offer an explanation.

"Maybe one of us should try to go find them."

"Marguerite said to stay here."

"She's a vampire not God. What if she's lost and can't find her way back? I can fly pretty fast. It might be a little dangerous but I think I can do it," Cassie said.

"Let's stay together, everything will work out. God will see to it."

"I don't have your faith," Cassie said as she changed to Fairy Form.

"God go with you," Ruthie whispered as Cassie flew through the illusionary wall.

As he entered the same passage for the third time, Elijah Kincaid decided that he hated Mazes. With the faint glow of Ascalon as his only source of light, Elijah slowly attempted to find the others. Stepping on a small piece of glass and crushing it, Elijah stopped. Although finding the glass in the dim light was slow, he eventually found a big enough piece to examine. Holding it close to the glow, Elijah could see that it was once part of a light bulb. Someone was breaking all of the light bulbs in the Maze. Someone, or something, in the Maze could see in the dark and was waiting for him.

As he entered the next passage, Elijah noticed a change in the stench. In the other passages, Elijah could smell garbage, human waste, and other putrid smells that almost forced him to regurgitate dinner. Much to his surprise, his nose detected carbon. Holding the sword closer to the walls, he noticed several burn marks on the brick wall covering the various graffiti. Touching the burn marks, Elijah was surprised to discover that the bricks were still warm.

Following the burn marks, Elijah crept down a slanting passage. Crunch! Again, Elijah stopped to see what he had stepped on. Searching with Ascalon, Elijah found a small white cylindrical object. Holding it close to the magical glow of his broadsword, Elijah discovered it was the finger bone of a human. Quickly, Elijah dropped it and wiped his hands. Horrified, he took a few steps and shivered. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the women. Someone had to warn them of their danger. But what if this finger belonged to one of them?

"'Welcome to my parlor', the spider said to the fly," a soft, sensual feline voice mewed.

Startled, Elijah held Ascalon in front of him, attempting to find the source of the voice.

"Would you like a light, my fly?" she asked.

"Help me! Help me!" a tiny, voice cried.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Elijah asked.

"Allow me to shed some light on the situation," the soft voice said. Elijah heard someone clap and then the lights flashed on. Blinking to adjust to the sudden light, Elijah noticed a tall woman standing in front of a web. Entangled in the web, Cassie Byron in Fairy Form fought to escape.

"Help me!" Cassie screamed in terror.

Focusing on the woman, Elijah's blood froze. Long, black hair lay draped over her shoulders. A sleek, red party dress clung tightly to her hourglass shaped body. Soft hazel eyes smiled at him. The bright light from the naked light bulb underscored her light black skin. "So this is the famous Elijah Kincaid. I was told you beat Morrison. Before I actually saw you, I was impressed. My name is Chandra and I'll accept your surrender at anytime."

"Let her go," Elijah ordered.

"Watch out, she's dangerous!" Cassie warned.

"Don't speak again, little one, or it shall be feeding time," the spider warned the fly.

"I am Chiyanbara, vampire. I have already killed one of your kind," Elijah boasted.

Chandra laughed. "A vampire? A vampire? Is that what you think I am?"

"If not then what are you?" Elijah asked.

"Spiders! Watch out for the spiders!" Cassie cried.

Chandra laughed again. "I will give you two choices, either surrender or the fly dies."

Elijah slowly started to manuever Ascalon into a striking position. "I am a Chiyanabara warrior. We bring light to the shadows where no else treads."

Again Chandra cackled. "Is that so? Would you like to see those shadows, boy? Would you like to taste the darkness?"

To Elijah's horror, Chandra began to change. Her skin darkened to a shade of black he had never seen before. Large gray bulges swelled from her skin. Cracks lined the thousands of gray silk egg sacks. Her flesh fed the fire. A billion diminutive velvety limbs pierced the skin. A galaxy of tiny spiders exploded from the shell.

"No! Get away!" Cassie cried.

A portion of the spiders armada frantically raced towards Elijah. His first impulse was to step on them, but then that would put Cassie in danger. A million tiny voices chimed together to compose Chandra's voice. "Even the brightest light casts shadows, Kincaid. Surrender or the fly dies."

A vampire or a werewolf, Kincaid could defeat. How could he kill the wave of spiders before they reached Cassie? He might as well stand before the ocean and attempt to stop it from crashing on the beach. Sheathing Ascalon, Elijah Kincaid bowed before the mass of spiders. "I surrender to you," he whispered. The words nearly choked him.

The spiders gathered from the corners of the room and merged, forming a humaniod shape. Chandra, mistress of spiders. "I'm afraid I didn't hear you, sweetmeat."

"I surrender to you," he said loudly, defiantly.

"Thank you. . .that was all that was needed."

His heart raced as though he were running a marathon. It was almost as though his heart could not beat fast enough to compete with his terror. Looking down at his hands, Elijah discovered he could see through them. He tried to touch the floor, but his hands faded through it. His eyes felt as though they were covered in fog. Before totally dissolving, Elijah could see the vague hazy figure Chandra reaching for Cassie. Elijah attempted to stop her, only to fade into the nothing.

Sitting in a corner of the Labyrinth, Ruthie clutched her bible tightly. In all of her life, she had never felt more alone. Every stray sound was manafied through her fear. Somehow, she knew she was alone. "Oh Lord, why am I going to do? How can I fight this evil?" she cried.

"You will fight this evil with courage. . .with love. . .and with faith," a voice told her.

"John? Iron John is that you?" she asked.

"It is me," Iron John answered.

"Can you help me?" Ruthie pleaded.

"Not in the way that you think. If I help you directly, everything that you've ever fought for will be lost. Do you understand?" he asked.

"Understand? I don't understand! Where are you?"

"I am in you," Iron John answered.

All her life, Ruthie had been the one that others protected. The baby of the family that her sister had to watch over. The wife whose husband had to balance the checkbook. The one that had to be sheltered from the world. Somehow, she always knew that someday she would have to weather the storm. Unlike others, she did not have that layer of immunity from the world. All that she had to protect herself was her faith. Ruthie hoped it was enough.

Ruthie decided to make her stand.

The fog faded. Elijah Kincaid quickly drew Ascalon. His vision cleared, Elijah found that he was not alone. In the center of the small white room, Marguerite and a balding wild man dressed like Colonial Harlan Sanders were playing cards while Caliban paced along side them.

"Okay Bucky, we'll play another hand, but no more wild cards!" Marguerite growled.

"You!" Elijah screamed.

Marguerite and Bucky looked at each other then turned towards Elijah. "You killed Tagami! Now you will die!" Elijah cried.

Both Marguerite and Bucky dropped their cards and scrambled to their feet. "Wait a second, Dudley Do Right and we can explain a few things," Marguerite told him.

Elijah ignored her. He swung his mystical broadsword in a kill strike towards Bucky's head. Instead of dodging back as Elijah expected, Bucky rushed forward evading the attack. As Elijah prepared for another strike, Marguerite pushed him from behind, knocking the Chiyanbara off balance and crashing to the floor.

"If you don't listen to me, I'm going to kick your ass!" Marguerite barked.

"Yeah!" Bucky agreed.

"You shut your ass too!" Marguerite barked.

Elijah rolled to his feet and held Ascalon down low. It would not hurt to listen to them. Besides, he might be able to maneuver into a striking position. "Talk."

"If I may be so bold, and if you are done fighting, I think I've figured it all out," Caliban informed them.

Bucky, Marguerite, and Elijah looked over at him, keeping watch over everyone else. "Okay Sherlock, spill it," Marguerite told him.

As Caliban opened his hideous mouth to respond, a naked full sized Cassie appeared on the other side of the room. "Gary!" she cried upon seeing Caliban.

She ran over to him, hugging him. After her short embrace with Caliban, she noticed Marguerite, Elijah, and Bucky. "Uh. . .hi," she greeted them.

Concerned, Cassie closed her eyes and focused on her dress. The illusionary black silk dress faded over her body. "So, what's the deal? Is this a party or something?" she asked, being careful to remain close to Caliban.

"Caliban was just about to give his theory of what the Hell is going on," Marguerite explained.

"To begin with, let's make certain everyone knows everyone. I am Caliban. This is Cassie. Cassie, this is Marguerite and Bucky. I assume this is Elijah Kincaid."

Elijah nodded his head which Caliban took as a sign to continue. "All of us are bound together. The exact mechanics of which I am uncertain. It would seem that a figure named Iron John, who is sometimes referred to as the Whispering Dude, informed each of us that we would find allies and that we should trust them. Bucky has informed us that MacDuff and Gideon are playing a game for control over Los Angeles," Caliban said.

"I have seen the game. They are playing a game of chess in which each of us represents a playing piece. Shortly before Caliban was attacked by the werewolf, Gideon moved his Black Queen against the White Bishop," Elijah added.

Caliban smiled, giving everyone except Bucky shivers.

"Yes. It would be logical to assume that all of us are on the same side, or we would not be put together. I believe that this room is a penalty box for the game. The white pieces are put here in the white penalty box," Caliban said.

"I guess that means we're the good guys," Cassie muttered.

"When I last saw the board, MacDuff only had a few pieces remaining. There should be more people here," Elijah argued.

"That may not be the case. At least part of MacDuff's pieces must have come from his organization, yes? We can assume that MacDuff is wise enough not to put us all in the same place," Caliban explained.

"Why not just kill us off and be done with it?" Marguerite asked.

"You miss the point of the game. Both want control. I would assume that all of the pieces survive, because the winner wants control over them," Caliban said.

"So. . .Morrison is. . ." Cassie muttered.

"Alive and well knowing his healing powers. At first, I could not understand why we were picked for this game. Other than Bucky, none of us involve ourselves in the nightlife. Or at the least, none of us has yet to involve ourselves in night life politics," said the Fallen.

"Last night Morrison said that you were going to help MacDuff, not that you have," Cassie recalled.

"Correct. So then we can assume that collectively we are going to do something that negatively effects Gideon,yes?"

"Twenty pieces of chicken! Twenty pieces of chicken!" Bucky cried while spinning in a circle.

"I have not forgotten you yet," Elijah barked, pointing Ascalon at Bucky.

"I have not forgotten you yet! I have not forgotten you yet!" Bucky mimicked Elijah sarcastically, "Can you not see? It all begins here! You are the Five. You are the ones that change everything."

"I only count four," Elijah said.

"One is missing. But soon, the Five will gather," Bucky insisted.

"Ruthie," Marguerite interjected.

"Correct! Give the leather lady a personality! You are the Five!"

"The five what?" Cassie asked, confused.

"You are the Five that become One," Bucky revealed.

"Again, you dodge around the question, you bulb-eyed baboon! The One what?" Caliban asked.

"The one that changes everything. Come on! Catch a clue! Get a grip!" Bucky whooped.

"He knows nothing," Elijah declared.

"Oh yes, I know the nothing, I know the nothing quite well," Bucky agreed.

"You talk in riddles and do not make sense," Caliban complained.

"Ah, my fine Fallen friend, I make sense if you listen. As our chubby cherub could tell you, I am an imp."

"What's an imp?" Marguerite asked, irritated.

"An imp is the result of a fairy mating with another fairy. A variable race of insane bastards, yes?"

"Isn't that how fairies are born?" Marguerite asked surprised.

"A fairy has to. . . .mate with a mortal to produce a fairy," Cassie answered, embarrassed.

"Okay, so you're an imp. What's the big deal?" Marguerite asked.

"Like the Zhongshan, imps pay close attention to the Dreamweb," Bucky answered.

"What is the Zhongshan?" Elijah asked.

"Marguerite would be best to answer that one, since she is one," Bucky said.

"I don't know what the Hell you're talking about," Marguerite replied, insulted Bucky might know more about her past than she did.

"Come now, your Lord was Zhongshan," Bucky chided her.

" I never knew my Lord," Marguerite insisted.

"Lord?" Cassie asked Caliban.

"The one that made her into a vampire," Caliban answered.

"What are the Zhongshan?" Elijah asked.

"Voodoo vampires from Heck! They live around New Orleans. The only way to tell them apart from normal vampires, normal being a relative term, is their symbol; the chicken foot," Bucky explained.

Angrily, Marguerite's eyes turned scarlet. "Murphy," she hissed.

Caliban nodded. "Yes, I know he is from New Orleans," he agreed.

"You seem to know a lot," Elijah said.

"Yes, I do," Caliban responded.

"Okay, I am going to say this as simple as I can. What the Hell is going on?" Marguerite asked.

"Because of the influence of the Shadow Lord, MacDuff and Gideon are fighting through this chess game. We are the Five, which has some sort of metaphysical significance. If we can determine what, we may be able to use it to our advantage," Caliban suggested.

"I know who MacDuff and Gideon are, but who is the Shadow Lord?" Elijah asked.

"He is a dark sorcerer of great power. I have heard rumors that he controls Gideon and is the reason that MacDuff and Gideon are fighting," Caliban explained.

"You know. . . I've heard that name before," Cassie interjected.

"From where?" Caliban asked.

"I can't quite put my finger on it," Cassie admitted.

"Now all we have to do is figure out what we're supposed to do," Marguerite muttered.

"I know what you are to do," Bucky revealed.

"Then tell us, or I'm going to let Kincaid have his way with you," Marguerite warned him.

"Oh please, my dream come true," Bucky mocked her.

Cassie looked over to Elijah. Although his cape and scarf were gone, his Chiyanbara uniform still looked menacing and she had to admit sexy. The bodysuit clung to his muscular body quite well. She wouldn't mind letting him have his way with her.

"Anyway, like I've been trying to tell you. My abilities have to do with the mind. I can make people do things with a thought," Bucky said.

"My brother's right, he can," Cassie agreed.

Dazed, Cassie blinked, shook her head and gave Bucky a dirty look. "Don't you ever touch my mind again, Bucky!" she shrieked.

"Wait! Why did you refer to Bucky as brother?" Caliban asked, concerned.

"He touched my mind," Cassie muttered.

"I believe what Mr. Top Candidate for Plastic Surgery is asking why I forced you to call me brother. The simple answer is that I am your brother. Half-brother if you want to be technical. Daddy Oberon and Mammy Titana got too lustful. Broke the rules. Of course, it was quite a scandal. But Daddy Oberon gave me the part of the fool. Hence, I play it well," said the imp.

"Your father is Oberon the king of fairies?" Elijah asked, awed.

"That's what Ariel told me last night," Cassie answered.

"Ariel? From the Tempest?" asked the Chiyanbara.

"Yes! Yes! I know this will be quite a shock to you, but a good number of the Fae are in Shakespeare plays. Even I'm in one," Bucky boasted.

"Not true! I have read, analyzed, and memorized every known Shakespeare play and Bucky is not mentioned once!" Elijah declared.

"It's true. Only Shakespeare used my given name," Bucky added.

"And what might that be?"

"Robin Goodfellow."

"The Puck," Elijah muttered.

"Else the Puck a lair call. So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, and Robin shall restore amends."

Elijah opened his mouth to speak, but could not find the words. Caliban decided to direct the conversation to the task at hand. "What are you trying to tell us, Bucky?"

"One of my gifts is to dream the future through the Dreamweb. A month ago, I dreamed of the Five and I knew it was the chance I've been waiting for. We walked down a long highway that twists like a snake. At the end of the road is salvation, the chance to leave the herd and become heroes. In the end, there was a dense fog and am the only one who seems to be able lead you across. Once across, we faced the giant armpit. To become the heroes, Elijah and I faced it and were smothered. It was then that we learned the secret to twenty pieces of chicken! It was then that we learn the secret recipe! Through this, one of us was reborn and the world we get reborn into is a world ready for heroes," orated the imp.

Silence dominated the room. Caliban and Cassie looked at each other with a mixture of awe, surprise, and fear. Elijah shook his head in frustration.

"I've had a dream. . .like that. Not in the way you describe it, but the same images," Marguerite admitted.

"Cassie and I also have had the same type of dreams," Caliban added.

"Do you think the dreams are right?" Cassie asked.

"I don't know," Marguerite answered.

"Why would you help us?" Elijah asked Bucky.

"Because helping you will take me to the one place I've tried to go all of my life," Bucky explained, sounding frighteningly sane.

"I don't get it," Cassie complained.

"Don't worry. Its not important right now. The only thing that matters at this point is winning the game," Bucky told her.

"If this is all a game, why have it at the Viper Room and what about the police?" Cassie asked.

"To begin with, MacDuff owns the police. As to why play in the Viper Room, it is obvious. It is the same reason he owns the building. He hates modern music to begin with, but he learned from the ancient kings of France," Caliban explained.

"I don't get it," Marguerite said.

"An ancient king of France built a palace. Back then, the king did not have much power. He had to fight with the noblemen. Once his palace was complete, the king invited the noblemen to stay with him. It became the place to visit in France. While there, the noblemen took turns backbiting and plotting against each other," said the Fallen.

"Brilliant! So he could manipulate the situation, he created a hatred between high class and low class and there by gain power for himself," added the Chiyanbara.

"Yea, and he gave the rebels someone to rebel against other than himself, and kept them in his back pocket. You know after we break out of here, this might even be relevant, but I want out now!" demanded the leather clad vampire, trying to bring everyone on track.

"We could break the walls down," Elijah suggested.

"That would not be a good idea," Bucky replied with a knowing smile.

"Nonsense," Elijah said.

Glancing around him, Elijah searched for a door or window, but could find nothing. "I tried to punch a hole in the wall, but as soon as I busted through, the wall sealed itself," Caliban revealed.

"I can take a look around with my Fairy Eyes," Cassie volunteered.

Excited to prove her worth, she opened her Fairy Eyes. Outside the walls, Cassie found chaos. Frightened, she tried to look past the chaos, but found herself trapped in a loop of self. Desperate, Cassie tried to return to the room, but lost her direction. It seemed as though she lost her body, even though she never left it. Worried, Caliban shook Cassie until the jolt of physical contact forced her to close her eyes.

"The Chaos! The Chaos!" she screamed.

The twelve gathered in the counsel chamber around the long, oak table. Confused, Cassie sat in her appointed location, next to Caliban. Glancing at her friend, the fairy could sense that he was different. Changed. Altered. "What? What's happening?" she asked.

Startled, Caliban turned slightly. "You were saying Cassandra?"

The humor was gone. Drained. His face was colder. Almost dead. Clutching her shoulder with one hand and motioning to the others with his bandaged stump, Caliban whispered harsh words. "Now is not the time for this!"

"What happened to your hand?" she cried.

Horrified, Cassie slid out of her chair away from Caliban. Backing into Marguerite, Cassie discovered that the vampire had gained thirty pounds, most of it concentrated in her belly. "Whoa! What the Hell happened to you?"

Concerned, Marguerite placed her hand on Cassie's shoulder. "I'm pregnant, remember? Kincaid and I had an accident."

"Okay, I'm in the twilight zone or something!"

Next to Caliban, Cassie discovered another familiar face. "Barker! What the Hell are you doing here? Where's Rice?"

The melancholy Goth frowned. "I am more than what you knew. Rice is safe for now."

A blond boy, perhaps sixteen, wearing a white tuxedo smiled. He carried a golden trumpet. "She's confused. Lost," he said sadly.

An old black woman with thick glasses frowned. "Her aura is out of rhythm with the current time-line, Gabriel. She is not the Cassie we know," she stated clinically.

"What's going on? Where's Bucky? Elijah? What happened to Ruthie?" Cassie cried.

A thin, balding man wearing an expensive Armani three piece suit raised his hand. "Bucky is dead. He died a year ago restoring the Dreamweb. My name is Remington. You haven't met me yet."

"I'm here, honey."

The sweet southern voice could only be Ruthie. Only it wasn't Ruthie. Not the Ruthie Jones who she left in the Maze. All the fear and the doubt and weakness were burned, purified, from her soul. She glowed, yet looked the same. She was human and not human. "What happened?"

A harsh man with a hideous scar on his cheek, wearing mirrored sunglasses flanked Ruthie as though he were her bodyguard. "Back behind me. She might not be safe now."

"Alexander! This is Cassie. She'd never hurt me," Ruthie protested.

A punk, with a green and red mohawk, wearing faded blue overalls laughed. "Yea! Cassie's one of us. Right Epiphany?"

A dark woman looked up from her laptop. "You wanna risk it, Newton?"

"Honey, listen to me. This is a glimpse of things to come. Remember as much as you can!" Ruthie told her.

"Where's Elijah?"

Marguerite frowned sadly at the albino cloak figure standing at the head of the table. "What happened to Elijah?"

Iron John, and Cassandra Byron, surveyed the burning of Fresno by the Sea. "Can I ask you a question?"

Iron John smiled. "You can always ask. You just might not get a fair answer."

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Why go through all of this? Why all the suffering? The death of everyone I cared about. The horrible mistakes I made. Why isn't life fair?"

Iron John laughed. "Just one question, huh?"

"Don't laugh at me, please."

"I wasn't laughing at you. The only stupid question is the one unasked. The ones you have are important. For some, the only ones that matter. It's just that the answers won't make a whole lot of sense"

"Could you try?"

"The truth is that it's all part of being human. If you are going to be human, there's a lot of baggage you have to carry. Eyes. A heart. Love. Hate. The truth is that its those special moments of epiphany that make the rest matter."

"I take it we can't get out that way," Marguerite stated the obvious.

"Shut up!" Caliban barked.

Seeing the monstrous face of Caliban grow uglier from rage was enough to startle even Marguerite. "Close your eyes. It will be okay," Caliban whispered as he laid Cassie down in the corner.

"The game can still be won," Bucky announced.

"Do you know who is left?" Elijah asked.

"Ruthie Jones," Bucky answered.

"That's it?" Marguerite asked.

"That is it," Bucky answered.

"So what you're telling me is that my life depends on a prissy, Southern Baptist, Mary Poppins kicking Murphy and everyone else's butt?" Marguerite questioned sarcastically.

"Depressing, isn't it?" Bucky agreed.

Stumbling in the dark, Ruthie tried to find a source of light. Any light. "O' Lord give me light," she prayed.

A match struck the wall in front of her. As the match dimmed, she could see the outline of Murphy's face. "Ask and you shall receive Childe."

"Stay back," Ruthie muttered as she stumbled backwards.

"Please. We both know what you want," he said softly.

Ruthie, trying to maneuver away from Murphy, tripped dropping her purse and bible. She would have fallen had Murphy not grabbed her and pulled her close to his chest. She could feel the steel strength of his muscles. Casually, he wiped the dreadlocks out of his face. "We both want the same thing," Murphy crooned.

Intense memories of Bobby Washington flooded her mind. He was the first boy to ever kiss her. Daddy had been careful to not let boys around his little girl, but Bobby was okay because he was colored and the Gardener's son. Bobby lived down the road and sometimes helped out around the stables across the plantation. Once during a rain storm, Daddy and Momma were held up at town, and it was only Bobby and her in the stables. Although he acted calm, Ruthie felt Bobby shiver from the cold and fear of his desire. Trying to be a gentleman, he offered her his jacket and Ruthie knew she wanted to kiss him. The kiss had been awkward at first, but it seared her.

She had heard about love and other matters mostly through her mother's dime novels. Once she even found one of Daddy's magazines. All day she looked at the men and women, fascinated at how they kissed and connected their bodies.

Keith had been different. Ruthie had thought that he was a gentle and kind man. While courting, he never pushed her and was always polite. Once married, Keith changed. She remembered the fear when she walked into the motel on their wedding night. Part of her didn't want to give herself up. Keith seemed to understand. For hours they kissed. She loved to be in his arms.

Then Keith couldn't wait. He tore off her night shirt in a fit of passion and Ruthie loved it. It had been like a night from one of Momma's romance novels. Somehow deep inside, she could never allow herself to fully enjoy herself. It never seemed right. Although rough, Keith was wonderful at first.

As the months passed, Keith insisted upon experimenting. First, he put himself inside her mouth. She liked the feeling of being close to him. He tried kissing Ruthie all over, but she never felt clean. Then, came Sodomy. She knew God frowned upon Sodomy, but she couldn't say no to Keith. That was the problem.

It hurt worse than then her wedding night. Keith said it wouldn't hurt too bad. He lied. Even that didn't satisfy him.

One night after work, Keith walked in with a waitress with bright red hair. He said that the three of them were going to be close. That night, the three of them went to bed together. Horrified, Ruthie could never say no to Keith. As the waitress kissed her, she began to enjoy it. Together, the three writhed in pleasure. With this waitress, Ruthie felt her first orgasm.

That night left Keith unsatisfied. He always wanted more.

"We both want the same thing," Murphy repeated himself.

"Yes," Ruthie whispered.

Slowly she kissed his bare chest. Smiling, Murphy brought her face close to his. Her lips to his. "We all want love," he whispered.

Images of her wedding day flashed in Ruthie's mind. She remembered wearing that long white dress and walking down the aisle. She remembered when Keith decided violence could make him hard. She remembered that old church she found herself at late at night and the old black lady, Mamma Jenkins, that took her in. She remembered that night when she was alone. That was the first night she felt touched by God. That night she tasted love.

Murphy felt a hunger for her flesh like nothing else he had ever felt. Despite the myths, vampire love sex. Most vampires can not seem to get enough. Concentrating on his blood, Murphy increased the sensitivity of his body. Each touch would send shivers of pleasure. Already, Ruthie felt his erection. Murphy increased the nerves so that each touch would amplify the sensation a thousand times. "Who do you love, Childe?" Murphy asked.

Suddenly, Ruthie brought her knee up, smashing Murphy's groin. The pain knocked Murphy to the floor. Tears clouded her eyes. Murphy could feel himself fade into the nothing. Instinctively, he reached for her. "I love God," she muttered.

Searching in the darkness, Ruthie was able to find Murphy's matches. After striking a match, she used the light to find her bible and purse. Guided by faith as much as the matches, Ruthie navigated her way through the Maze into the Labyrinth.

She walked through the mosh pit surprised that none of them bothered her like the last time. The slam dancers, remembering Elijah Kincaid, decided to give her a safe passage. When she came to the door to the Viper Room, she discovered that it was locked.

She then decided to walk onto the stage. Seeing her, the band stopped their playing. "I need to ask a favor," she said.

The band members looked at each other. "Are you with that swordsman dude?" one of them asked.

"In a manner of speaking," Ruthie answered.

"Anything you damn well want," the lead singer told her remembering Elijah's large donation to their band.

"First, you can quit swearing," Ruthie said.

"Yes ma'am," he said.

"Second, I need to get upstairs as soon as possible," Ruthie told him.

"Can't you go out of the Labyrinth and go around upstairs?" he asked.

"That might take too long with the lines," Ruthie answered.

"Hold on, we'll see," the band leader said.

He walked over to the microphone. "Oy!" he screamed.

"This chick here is a friend of that sword dude with the big bank. She needs a favor and we're gonna give it too her. The people upstairs think that it's okay to come down but not up. We're gonna show them!" he bellowed.

The crowd roared an agreement. "All we need is someone to open the door," he bellowed into the microphone.

It took the crowd a little under a minute to dismantle the door. Ruthie walked into the Viper Room, with a small army following her. The punks growled at the yuppies and took over the dance floor. One extreme death metal fan mugged the DJ and began playing his favorite bands.

"Ya fool! Your Queen's destroying all that you've built!" Gideon barked.

"No. She is only changing it. Nothing more," MacDuff replied calmly.

"All that you have left is the Queen."

"Then take her, if you can," MacDuff challenged her.

Slowly, Gideon moved his Black Rook to take the White Queen. A flash of emerald engulfed both pieces. Gideon smiled at MacDuff, who simply shrugged. They would have to wait.

Hearing a stunned silence overtake the Viper Room, Ruthie turned to see Chandra. The regulars from the Labyrinth knew of her. Chandra hunted them in the Maze and the rules were simple. In the Maze you were hers to play with. She rarely actually killed someone. However, when she made an appearance outside the Maze, she hunted blood.

Seeing her army desert her, Ruthie held her bible close to her. Inside her pocket, she found her cross. This silver cross had been hers for years and yet it still shined as though it were new. Holding it in front of her, Ruthie attempted to ward off Chandra.

Chandra laughed.

"That is supposed to work on vampires, which I'm not."

Ruthie breathed easy for a moment. "Then what are you?" she asked.

"I'm glad you asked," she said.

Her skin turned black as hate. Giant hairy legs sprung from her sides. Her bottom half ballooned into a giant horse sized spider. Her top half remained human. A beautiful, yet hideously evil smile cracked her face revealing fangs.

"My Lord!" Ruthie cried.

"Your Lord has nothing to do with me," Chandra mocked her.

"In the name of Jesus, demon be gone!" Ruthie commanded.

In the beginning, it has been said, was the word. A surge of majestic awe washed over the room. A few of the remaining mortals thought they could hear angels singing; others swore they heard a loud golden trumpet. All of them witnessed the blue sparks erupt from the cross. A bolt of lighting leapt from the cross. It serged across the room, striking Chandra. The bolt of power scorched her flesh into ashes.

"Bastard! Ya lied! Ya didn't say she was a mage!"

"She's not," MacDuff replied.

Grimly, Gideon rose from the table. "If she's one of faith, then she gonna die!" he bellowed.

Gideon leapt from the second level, landing gracefully next to Ruthie. "Die!"

Frightened, Ruthie dropped her cross.

Moving closer to kill her, Gideon screamed as he found himself repelled by an invisible barrier. "You have broken our convent, Gideon! By all the rules that you created, all of my pieces return to the board and you lose yours," MacDuff proclaimed.

Looking up to MacDuff, Gideon screamed. "No!"

Behind Ruthie, Gideon sensed the penalty box bursting open, returning the players from the nothing. "Attention K-mart shoppers! We're back!" a voice proclaimed.

From the nothing, Bucky, Marguerite, Elijah Kincaid, Cassie, and Caliban returned. The Five united.

"The game is over, Gideon. Surrender," MacDuff told the cowboy vampire.

"The game is never over!"

Infuriated, Gideon turned his back to MacDuff charging Ruthie. Marguerite and Caliban sprinted forward to block his blows. Gideon pushed his ancient blood through his veins, giving him superhuman speed. His perceptions and reflexes matched the fly. In the space of second, he knocked Marguerite in the chin sending her across the room, hit Caliban three times, and telekinetically grabbed hold of Ruthie. Elijah Kincaid charged forward.

"Bow!" Gideon ordered Elijah.

Elijah looked like a startled deer caught in the headlights of a car then slowly he bowed. Cassie tried distracting Gideon by flying circles around him and creating mirror images of Ruthie. Gideon swatted her telekinetically and the illusions disappeared.

"Now my queen, you will die," Gideon whispered.

"Not yet, you still have one opponent," MacDuff declared.

Gideon looked up to see MacDuff float down from the second level. "So it has come to this," Gideon said.

"It should have been this way from the beginning, old friend."

Snarling, Gideon grappled MacDuff, attempting to get into a position to bite him. Gideon was almost twice as old as MacDuff. Once he claimed to have seen the crucifixion of Christ. For all of his power, Gideon was a planner not a warrior. MacDuff was the best of both worlds. Their nefarious battle extended on many planes. Physically, each of them grappled into a match of strength. In the Dreamweb, they fought a never ending battle for dominance. Magically, each tried to pierce the arcane protection of the other. As a result of the conflict, Gideon virtually ignored the others.

Bucky charged forward wildly, only to be shot down with a burst of flame. Cassie and Ruthie ran to Bucky to beat the fire out of him. Caliban extended his arm and released a bolt of fire. The flame bounced off of a telekinetic shield and for an instant flame danced around Gideon and MacDuff. Maneuvering behind the ancient vampires, Marguerite sliced into Gideon, ripping into his flesh. As the mexican vampire attempted to press her advantage, Gideon's wounds healed and she found herself pounded across the room.

Horrified, Kincaid found that he could not control his own body. Frantic, he tried to remember the Chiyanbara techniques that Tagami had taught him. Forcing his mind through mental excerises, he used his will to push through the mental domination of Gideon. Tagami had once told him that his will was strong as iron. As long as he used the Chiyanbara techniques to refresh his will, it would never rust.

Slowly, the Chiyanbara smiled and rose. The ancient vampire had lived two thousand years and still could not match the will of Elijah Kincaid. He silently stalked Gideon. Desperate, Caliban rushed forward, punching Gideon in the lower back. The force of the blow knocked both MacDuff and Gideon to the ground. Using the force of the blow, Gideon managed to roll on top of MacDuff, putting himself in a biting position. Noticing Caliban and Elijah advance, Gideon knew he could only strike at one.

While Gideon pummeled Caliban to the ground, Elijah acted. Using all of his Chiyanbara training, Elijah plunged Ascalon deep into Gideon's back. Surprisingly, the sword sizzled as though it had been set fire. Gideon shivered through the pain. Sizzling like bacon, Gideon howled. Smiling his secret smile, MacDuff bit into his ancient friend, his ancient enemy.

Gideon's ancient blood combined with his own, creating a new strain of the Blood with incredible power. MacDuff sensed his body absorb the power as his mind expanded. Their blood together created something neither could ever be. Promptly, MacDuff pushed Gideon off him, stood, and wiped the dirt from his kilt. He glanced up to see Bucky and the Five. "The game is over."

MacDuff glanced around. They were the only ones remaining in the Viper Room. "You still live, the game continues," Kincaid muttered.

Gideon wilted to ashes as the Five gathered. Kincaid maneuvered Ascalon into an offensive arc. Caliban and Marguerite flanked behind him. Cassie, in Fairy Form, sat perched on Caliban's shoulder. Ruthie, behind the others, flipped through her bible searching for the right words. Float above them, Bucky sat in the lotus position with a look of dark joy burned into his face.

MacDuff shrugged his shoulders. "Our time will come, but not now."

"There's no time like the present, homecheese," Marguerite sneered.

MacDuff laughed. "Ah, but there is Marguerite. There is indeed."

The pieces began to returned from the nothing to the board. Murphy, Morrison, and a host of Children of the Dark One assembled behind MacDuff. "This day I owe you five a great debt, leave in peace or pieces."

"Then return Sylvia to us and we will be on our way," Ruthie replied.

Rasing his eyebrow with interest, MacDuff nodded to Murphy. "If she wishes to leave she may."

"Where is she?" Marguerite asked.

"Murphy has already called for her."

Slowly sauntering down the stairs, Sylvia waved to her rescuers like a princess at a parade. There was something different about her that Ruthie just couldn't place. Although her appearance did not change in the slightest, her almond eyes looked as though she had aged twenty years instead of twenty hours. Like an actress in an old black and white glamour movie, she worked the room to her best advantage wearing a white silk dress that emphasized her feminine features. She wore her black hair long and straight.

"Are you okay, honey?" Ruthie asked.

"Of course Ruthie dear. Thanks for coming to get me," Sylvia replied with a smile. It was the fake smike of a serpent.

Marguerite growled. "You bastard, MacDuff! You didn't have to hurt her!"

"Do what?" Ruthie asked.

"I do not understand, you're friend is here," Elijah said, confused.

"They did it to her!" Marguerite howled.

Sylvia walked to Murphy, slipped her arm around his waist and grinned, revealing her fangs. "I'm afraid that the Childe begged me to Assimilate her and I just couldn't resist," Murphy taunted them.

"No," Cassie cried, partly jealous.

Marguerite's eyes turned scarlet as she stepped towards the darkness. Claws formed, prepared to rend flesh.

"Marguerite, we have to leave now! Otherwise, there'll be no one else to fight them," Elijah whispered to her.

Morrison growled at the Chiyanbara, craving a second battle, but MacDuff waved a hand. "You serve me, now. Remember that!" he commanded.

"This is not over," Elijah told the Scottish vampire.

"If it were, you would be dead. I think I shall plant you in my rose garden, it could use some fertilizer," MacDuff said casually.

Marguerite glanced at Caliban, who nodded. She grabbed onto Elijah's shoulder and dragged him back. "Save it, Dudley. There'll be another day," Marguerite whispered to him.

Ruthie walked forward without fear. "The Lord will not forget these acts of evil. Jesus haith said, 'Turn from sin, and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!' The end time is here, remember that! Turn or burn!"

Caliban whispered into Cassie's ear. "If I remember my fairy lore correctly, you can teleport us to Avalon. Is that right?" he asked.

**YES. **

"Tell the others, and do it when I signal," Caliban whispered.

**I'M GOING TO TELEPORT US AWAY. BE READY!**

"Know this MacDuff. I know you had Tagami killed. For that you will pay," Elijah told him.

"Really? And how are you going to do that?"

_"We're going to kick your ass and make you like it,"_ Marguerite growled.

"There will come a day, remember these words. In fact, you might see me faster than you think."

"No, you remember this. The night is no longer safe for your kind! Any of you!" the Chiyanbara declared.

Frustrated, Caliban nodded to Cassie. Cassie opened her Fairy Eyes and looked for the way to her ancestral home. Across time, space, and imagination, she could see Avalon, just like Ariel had shown her. Pulling the others into her soul, Cassie focused her body into a tight focused beam of emergy. Traveling by instinct, Cassie shot herself into the Dreamweb. Crossing the barrier, Cassie aimed towards the moon. To Avalon. A loving hand blocked them. A giant black hand deflected them into the Highway West.


	6. Chapter 6

The Highway West Andrew 198

Chapter Six: The Highway West

_She was a princess, Queen of the Highway_

_Sign on the road said: "Take us to Madre"_

_No one could save her, save the blind tiger_

_He was a monster, black dressed in leather_

_She was a princess, Queen of the Highway_

_Jim Morrison, Queen of the Highway_

_Xanadu five miles ahead_ was painted in large white letters on the old faded green highway sign. The sizzling sun sauntered across the sky beating down upon the black asphalt. Through the baking mirages on the horizon, a small building rested near a fork in the highway. As Elijah peered at it, the building seemed to grow in his mind like a cancer.

The bright light startled Marguerite. Hysterical, Marguerite clutched onto Cassie's wrist and jerked her arm backwards. "What the Hell did you do? How did you get into my mind?" she barked.

Caliban pried Marguerite's fingers from Cassie's wrist. "I don't know! We're supposed to be in Avalon! We weren't supposed to link together like that!" Cassie cried.

Frightened, the vampire growled as Caliban stepped between them. "Marguerite, think! The sun is not hurting you!" Elijah screamed.

Meekly, Ruthie put her hand on Marguerite's shoulder. It was like dropping a block of ice on a flaming skillet. "He's right! Ya look normal ta me."

Ignoring them, Marguerite concentrated her mystical blood through her hands, molding her fingers into claws. Catching sight of Cassie's tears through her scarlet eyes, Marguerite struggled to control her fear. Attempting to halt the instincts of the blood, she glanced at the sun. As a child, Marguerite loved to play in the sun; as a vampire, she missed the sun more than anything. "I don't understand. I should be dead," the vampire muttered.

"Yes, fascinating."

"We must be in the Southwest of the United States," Elijah stated, trying to change the subject.

"I thought you were in the woods all of your life?" Cassie asked sarcastically.

"Yes and during that time I was studying," Elijah replied.

"Cassie, I think it would be wise to use your Fairy Eyes, yes?" Caliban suggested.

The fairy nodded, nervous. Changing her perception was a three edged sword. The last time, she peered into the future, into the darkness. She survived only because the void released her. She did not feed its hunger. Morgana murdered Merlin, the Dreamlord of Humanity, creating the void. Behind the hunger, Cassie sensed a cunning intellect. The void freed her, gave her the vision, only to fulfill its purpose: to create the new Dreamlord. "We're not in the Southwest. We're in the Dreamweb."

Rubbing his chin, Caliban smiled slightly, which had the side effect of twisting Ruthie's stomach. "Yes. That would explain why Mrs. Sanchez is still with us."

"What do ya mean Dreamweb?" Ruthie asked.

"It's kind of hard to explain."

"Please try, honey."

"I'm not sure if I can. I don't really understand it myself," Cassie admitted.

"What do ya know?" Ruthie asked.

"The world we live in is connected to many others. That black void that we crossed used to be the world of the fairies, but Morgana le Faye changed that."

"Morgana le Faye? Do you mean the half sister of Arthur?" Elijah asked.

"Yeah, I think so. Anyways, she was fighting Merlin the Dreamlord and needed power. Before the fairies realized it, she sucked everything dry. Our world died. We escaped to Earth, only to be enslaved by Morgana. Eventually, we discovered Avalon, our new homeland. Along the way, we entered into Xanadu," explained the Fae.

"What's a Dreamlord?" asked the vampire.

"Dreamlords are the guardians of the Dreamweb. Their job is to inspire humans to greatness. Sort of a cosmic coach."

"I don't know who has the job now, but they suck!" Marguerite replied.

"Merlin was the last. He died before he could appoint a successor."

"Maybe, we're supposed to find a new dreamlord?" Ruthie suggested.

Apprehensive, Cassie watched the dust settle on her bare feet. Caliban lifted her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Something is wrong, yes? Something you don't want to tell us?

"Back in the Viper Room. When I looked into the void. I saw something."

"What, honey? It can't be that bad."

"I saw. I saw us. The future."

Intrigued, Caliban motioned her to continue. "There were twelve. Ruthie looked like an angel without the wings. Caliban had a stump instead of a hand. My friend Barker was hanging out with us. And then Marguerite. . ."

"What happened to me? I can take it." asked the vampire.

Cassie swallowed, her mouth as dry as the desert around her. "You were. . ."

"I was what?

"You were pregnant."

"Pregnant? How? Who?"

"I don't know the how. I'd assume the normal way."

"I didn't know vampires could bare children," said Ruthie.

"Most don't. Vampires are just like humans only our blood is like a parasite. It keeps us alive, but feeds off us. That's why we drink blood. We have to feed its cravings. I can eat, drink, do almost anything a human can do except go out in sunlight," the vampire explained.

"It would seem to me that your blood has an allergic reaction to sunlight, yes?" said the Fallen.

"Or it could be a certain part of the light spectrum that composes sunlight," suggested the Chiyanbara.

"Who's the father?" Marguerite asked.

"Elijah."

Marguerite shot Kincaid with a look of suspicion, who simply shrugged his shoulders with his hands stretched in the air. "What? I hardly know her."

Cassie giggled uncomfortably. "Well, you get to know her real well."

"I would never. . ."

"So I'm not good enough for you, is that it?" asked the vampire.

"Ah, no. I. . .I. . .I," stuttered Elijah.

"Give the man a chance to breathe, yes?" Caliban suggested.

"So what happens to him?" Marguerite asked, indicating Elijah.

"He wasn't there."

"What?" asked Kincaid, curious.

"You weren't there."

"I must have been elsewhere."

"No."

"I'm dead in the future?"

"I think so. When I asked what happened to you, Marguerite just about cried."

"Then I hope I die with honor," Elijah said, trying to feel brave.

"We're five miles away from Xanadu according to that sign," Caliban stated, attempting to change the subject.

"Get to the bottom line," Marguerite barked.

Nervous, Cassie twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "The fairies believe that the High Lord created the universe with Xanadu as the center."

"Are we are in heaven?" Ruthie asked.

"No, I don't think so. According to the fairy lore, heaven is outside the universe. We are at the focal point for the universe."

"And it looks like New Mexico?" Marguerite asked sarcastically.

Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "It appears different to each person."

"So the question remains, why are we here?" Caliban asked.

Cassie bit her lip. "Someone brought us here. It might have been the void."

"So what do we do?" Ruthie asked.

"We could try to leave. I could try for Avalon again," Cassie suggested.

"No. I want to know what is going on. Everyone else seems to know about us except us," Caliban said.

"Yes. Let us discover all that we can," Elijah agreed. Now that he had knowledge of his death, he was determined to make his life count.

"It does seem as though the Lord's hand has brought us together in this place for this time," Ruthie said.

Marguerite grunted slightly, wiping sweat from her eyes. "Let's just get the Hell out of Dodge before my sun block wears off."

"Where do we go?" Cassie asked.

"There!' Elijah said as he pointed at the building in the distance.

"Sounds good," Cassie agreed.

"That actually sounds like a plan, which worries me," said the vampire.

Ruthie looked at the others. She worried that they were walking into the lion's mouth. While she had her faith to protect her, a part of Ruthie worried that it would not be enough. Although she felt the Lord's hand touch her when the lightning slew her enemies, Ruthie wondered if she was worthy of the grace. What if God did not want her to travel to Xanadu? What if by traveling with the others, Ruthie endangered her soul? Ruthie glanced over to Marguerite. Despite the fact that she was a vampire, Marguerite had shown more love than most mortals Ruthie knew. Marguerite was with God in her heart, even if her brain would not admit it.

"I think I can teleport us over there," Cassie said.

"No. We were meant to walk."

"Why do you say that?" Caliban asked.

"I can. . .feel it," Elijah answered.

Marguerite shrugged. "Let's just get out from under the sun."

Side by side, the Five walked down the highway that twisted like a snake. The small building flickered as though it faded in and out of reality. Elijah mentally soaked the scenery into his brain: the tumbleweeds, the cacti, and the vultures circling overhead. He pondered Cassie's words. If the future she experienced was real, then he would soon form a relationship with the vampire. Previously, he had not considered starting a relationship with a woman so soon. He knew nothing of their ways. And together, they would conceive a child.

The sheer vastness of the open land soothed the vampire. Trapped in the sunless lands, Marguerite had forgotten the pleasure of walking the open road in daylight. If the Goth fairy was right, then she was going to have Kincaid's baby! She never imagined herself as a mother, even when mortal. She would have to love Kincaid. Love him more than her life. Most vampires didn't survive childbirth. Fueled by the blood, the fetus becomes part vampire, part human craving blood and flesh. Could she fight destiny?

Ruthie's mind wandered back to the Old Testament. She recalled Moses leading the Exodus out of Egypt, and wondered if the Five would lead others to the promised land. Part of her hoped and feared to become a hero. Would she become an angel? She had felt the hand of God. Would she know his plans, his voice? Or would she become a false prophet?

Caliban cursed the light. In the darkness, he was safe and could pretend to be human. Trapped on the open road, he was the monster. The monster who could never win the love of a Goth fairy named Cassie.

The desert sparked memories of the Whistling Dude for Cassie. Her heart skipped a beat thinking of that song of the heart. The song of love. Why was Barker with the others in the future? He said that he was more than she knew. What was he?

Near the building, the Five discovered a figure walking towards them. The glare from the rising sun gave the man a slight halo. As the distance between them shortened, they could see that he was a man in his late thirties with long brown hair and a beard. He wore jeans, a black t-shirt, and a pair of old cowboy boots. He stopped a few feet short of the Five. Marguerite thought he looked familiar but couldn't quite place him. His sad green eyes had the look of lost innocence..

"Hi," the man said softly.

Holding his arms open in a gesture of friendship, Elijah greeted the stranger. "Hello. My name is Elijah Kincaid, this is Caliban, Cassie Byron, Ruthie Jones, and Marguerite Sanchez."

"My name is Jim."

"Do you know where we are?" Ruthie asked.

"The Highway West."

"Do I know you?" Marguerite asked.

"Can any of us really know another?"

"Perhaps it would be wise to scan him, yes?" Caliban whispered to Cassie.

Cassie nodded and opened her Fairy Eyes. Jim was not a man, but a force of nature. A spiritual cog in a cosmic machine geared down to communicate with them. A living manifestation of the Dreamweb.

"Who are you?" the Fae asked the dream.

"You might call me the spirit of the age."

"What are you doing here?" Caliban asked.

"I don't know. Trying to find myself, I guess."

"That's all any of us can do," Ruthie tried to soothe Jim.

Marguerite knotted her eyebrows as she tried to remember where she had seen this man. She imagined what he looked like without the beard. She had seen pictures of this man. Somehow he was important to her.

"Morrison!" Marguerite exclaimed.

Elijah drew Ascalon and looked for the wicked werewolf. "Where! Where!" he cried.

"No. Not that Morrison. . .Jim Morrison," Marguerite explained.

"You know you're right. He looks older, but it has to be him," Cassie agreed.

Irritated, Elijah kept Ascalon in his hand, ready for an attack. "I do not know this Jim Morrison."

"Jim Morrison, you know _the Doors_," Cassie explained.

"I do not see any doors," Elijah stated.

"It was a rock band, in the late sixties, yes?" Caliban added.

"Jim was the lead singer until he died of a drug overdose."

"Then, what is he doing here?" Elijah asked.

"He's part of the Dreamweb," Cassie answered.

"Are you a ghost?" Ruthie asked.

"No. . .I'm Jim."

"Like that answered anything," Cassie snapped.

"Maybe it did, yes? Correct me if I am wrong, but did you not say that each person perceives Xanadu differently?" Caliban asked.

"Yeah," Cassie answered.

"Then what we see is a metaphor of some kind, yes?"

"Then all we have to do is figure out what all of this means," Elijah added.

"All I remember is that they sang 'The End,'" Cassie said.

"'The End!" That's it! Don't you see, this is the song. We're in the desert on the Highway West," Marguerite replied, excited.

"The Apocalypse!" Ruthie cried.

"What's she babbling about?" Cassie asked.

Afraid, Ruthie brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. "The Book of Revelations in the Bible speaks of the end times. The time when Christ will rise again and the world will end. Maybe this is a warning from God."

Marguerite sighed. "I don't know how you rescued us from MacDuff's prison, but I already told you I don't believe in God."

"Ya don't believe in God, but you believe in demons, vampires, and werewolves. Which is better?"

Elijah sighed, angry. "Now is not the time for this."

Defiantly, Marguerite placed her hands on her hips. "Something tells me we better get on the ball or we're going to be in a shit load of trouble."

Caliban coughed. It reminded Marguerite of a cement truck. "I may have an answer if you care to listen."

Cassie rolled her eyes in disgust. "We don't have time for twenty questions."

"Jim Morrison represents us," Caliban declared.

"What?" Ruthie exclaimed.

"Think about it. We're not seeing the Jim Morrison that we always see in pictures or album covers. We're seeing the Jim Morrison that died. The Jim Morrison that gave up and killed himself."

"He died of a drug overdose," Marguerite replied.

"It's the same thing, yes? How many times do you think Jim Morrison took drugs over his lifetime? He knew he would die."

"Okay, so what's your point?" Marguerite asked.

"I am not sure yet. You're the great Morrison expert. What was he like early in his career?" Caliban asked the vampire.

"He wanted to be a poet. He went to the film school at U.C.L.A. No one understood his films. So he joined with Ray Manzarek and formed a band. He wanted to expand his mind so he experimented with drugs and got addicted. That's when things started to go down hill.".

"I think I am starting to understand. Nietzsche believed that to become a hero one had to balance the Apollonian and the Dionysian sides of our natures," Elijah told them.

"Huh," Marguerite grunted.

"The Apollonian stems from the Greek god Apollo, the god of the sun, light, music, and reason. It is the part of us that uses logic to understand the world. It is the part of us that is rational. The Dionysian comes from the Greek god Dionysus, the god of theater, wine, and parties. It is the part of us that feels passion, love, horror, and worship. Only through a balance, can one become a hero."

"It does fit, but what made you think of it?" asked the Fallen.

"Bucky," Elijah admitted.

"Bucky?" Ruthie said with disgust.

"When we first met, he spoke of us become heroes."

Smiling, Cassie snapped her fingers, celebrating her epiphany. "I think I get what he is saying. Jim tried to become a hero, but he couldn't or wouldn't balance the two parts of himself and so failed."

The vampire frowned. "At the end of his career, Morrison swung all the way to the Dionysian side. He became a legend even in L.A. for his life style."

"He is the perfect metaphor for us, yes?"

Interested, Marguerite knotted her eyebrows. "You said that before, but didn't back it up."

"I was speaking collectively, yes? Consider Jim the spirit of the age. All of us had big ideas of how things were going to change the world, but somehow our greed got in the way. We're all feeling a little old, but still beautiful. All of us are part genius and part idiot. We try to fight against the world, but it's like a clock trying to run backwards. We try to fight the system, then we become the system. The rebels become the rulers. Somehow we're supposed to break out of this circle."

"Fighting the machine," Elijah whispered, awed.

Marguerite turned to Elijah, surprised. "Where did you pick up that expression?"

"It's a long story. We don't have the time to go into it now," Elijah insisted.

"What do we do?" Ruthie asked.

"Replace me.".

Marguerite sighed. "How are we supposed to do that, Jim?" Marguerite replied.

"Have the courage to choose to become heroes."

"We have a choice?" Cassie asked.

"We always have a choice."

"How do we become heroes?" Cassie asked.

"You have the right question. You just need to find your answer."

Cassie growled, frustrated. "Can't someone give me a straight answer?"

Marguerite laughed. "Says the Goth chick who tells us our future."

"Good-bye."

"You're leaving?"

"Yes."

"Where ya going, sir?" Ruthie asked.

Jim pointed to the horizon. "That way."

"Good journey," said the Chiyanbara.

Jim nodded. "Thanks. Be seeing you. One of you anyway."

Cassie sighed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Marguerite smirked. "Like he's gonna tell you."

"Perhaps we could continue, yes?" Caliban suggested.

Xanadu. It was a dream given form. It existed. It did not exist. It was ancient. It was timeless. It was fluid, changing, energy. It was solid, order, matter. They knew only that it was beautiful and holy and an aerie of great power.

"Shall we go in?" Elijah asked, fighting the awe.

"Do we have a choice?" Marguerite snapped.

The Chiyanbara pushed past the vampire and rushed towards the entrance. "I should be the one to enter first."

Ignoring the vampire's warnings, the Chiyanbara entered Xanadu.

The large vacant room surprised Elijah. Part of him had suspected that the building would be a sacred temple complete with warrior angels. Despite the heat of the desert, Elijah felt a chill as he entered Xanadu. It took several minutes before the awe dimmed so that he could examine the room objectively.

"It's a stinking library!" Marguerite cried.

Elijah glanced over at the vampire. "You were supposed to stay outside."

"Look here, Dudley Do Right, I go where I please and no one is going to stop me," she barked.

"It does not matter. There is no one here."

Curious, Elijah examined the room. Ancient books and tomes lined the endless row of shelves that circled a single tapestry hanging in the center of the room. Several worn leather couches scattered amid the maze of shelves.

"I think its safe," Marguerite informed the others.

Cautiously, Caliban lead Ruthie and Cassie into the library. Overwhelm, the fairy opened her Fairy Eyes. "There's someone here!"

A light feminine chuckle echoed around them. "I thought you'd never find us."

Startled, Elijah maneuvered Ascalon into a defensive parry position. Marguerite prepared her claws, flanking Kincaid. Caliban and Cassie circled protecting Ruthie.

Silently, the feline female waltzed into view, waving her long blonde hair as though she were a supermodel. She wore an angelic white dress and a blue ribbon that matched her shimmering eyes. "Don't be afraid. We've been expecting you."

Flanking the woman, a weary looking man dressed as though he escaped from an old black and white detective movie waved, smoking a cigar. Judging from his voice and slightly wrinkled features, the man appeared to be in his early forties. Scratching his salt and pepper beard, he gestured for the Five to sit. "Yea, come on in, take a load off."

"Who the Hell are you and why have we been brought here?" the vampire asked.

"Direct. Forceful. I like that Marguerite," the old man replied.

"How did you know my name?" she asked.

"I know a lot things. . .so does my companion," he informed him.

"My name is Delilah. I am hear to help you," said the woman in white.

"My name's Jack. Jack Covell. I'm the temporary caretaker of Xanadu," said the man in black.

"Are you the Old One?" Cassie asked.

"Not quite. You see the Old One needed a vacation and well he. . .didn't make it back. Had a bad case of demons."

"What happened to the Old One?" Caliban inquired.

Jack smiled, scratching his beard. "Sorry, not allowed to say."

"Why not?" Marguerite asked.

"Well, that would influence you unduly and that's against the rules. It's kind of like knowing the outcome of a horse race and then betting on it. So, sit down and we'll chat."

"I'd rather stand thanks," Cassie informed Jack.

Ruthie shook her head, then glared at the fairy. "Thank you."

"Not a problem. How about you guys?"

Uneasy, the others found chairs and sat facing the tapestry.

"Sir, may I ask a question?" Elijah asked politely.

Jack took a long puff of his cigar. "Feel free, son."

"What is the Five?"

"Good question! Good question! Living with Tagami all those years really paid off, eh? Well, take a squint at that big rug there."

Jack pointed to the tapestry of many colors and none. The threads swirled like a billion worms woven together. "Don't worry. When I first looked at it, I about dropped a load in my pants. If you look hard enough you can see into the past, present, and even the future. Each thread is one life."

"If each thread is a single life, then should not the tapestry be larger?"

"Yeah if it were a normal tapestry then of course it would be the size of Jupiter or the American national debt. This tapestry is magic. One of the few relics left over from the beginning. This is the stuff of dreams, kid. When ya concentrate on someone that thread appears in the scheme of events. For an example, I'm concentrating on you five. See how each of your lines reflect your lives? Each change in the pattern is a change in you. See how all five connect and become one line? You are the Five that become one. You are the five fingers that will serve as the hand."

"And what if we don't want to be the Five?" Marguerite asked.

"See the line that your five lines merge into. If I were to rip it from the tapestry, then all the other ones go to shit," Jack Covell explained.

"Which does not mean that the world will end," Delilah added.

"Quite true. The world won't end if you don't become the Five, but then I 'm pretty sure that you wouldn't approve of the shit hole it becomes either."

"How did we become the Five or the One Hand?" Caliban asked.

"While you are the Five, you're not the One Hand. Not yet anyway. You have to take the test," said Jack.

"How do we take this test?" Elijah asked.

"You pass through the portal in the tapestry and defeat yourself."

"Defeat ourselves? Why would we want to do that? What portal are you speaking of?" Caliban asked.

"When you are ready, the portal will appear from the tapestry. Once you enter the test you have to decide what is most important to you. Who are you?"

"Or what do you want?" Delilah added.

"I have a question," Ruthie interjected.

"Yea, Ruthie," said Delilah.

"Where is God in this? What is His will?"

"Is there even a God?" Cassie asked.

Jack smiled to Delilah, who sighed. "I can answer that question. In fact, I can give you absolute proof of God's existence or non-existence. Is this what you want?" Delilah asked.

"Yes."

"However, I think knowing would hurt ya. I'll make a deal with ya. I tell you why I should not tell you, then if you still want proof, I'll give it to you," Jack offered.

"Deal," Marguerite said. The others agreed.

"Ruthie Jones, do you try to do good because God has told you to? Or do you do good because that is best? It's a difficult question. You might say that there is no difference, but I disagree. When parents raise their kids, good deeds are rewarded. You know if a kid cleans his room he gets an extra hour of TV. Not because every time the child does good he will be rewarded, but because the behavior is desired. When kids grow up they're expected to know the good and do it. Giving you knowledge of God would keep you kid and no good parent wants their kid to remain a kid forever. God is like a mother who wants her kids to grow up strong and become doctors, or something else decent."

"If there is no God, then life has no meaning except that which we give it. Many people find their life's meaning in the work of God. If God don't exist, then these people's hopes are gone. Either way, you lose," Jack explained.

Ruthie looked over to Marguerite. Although proof would convert her, it would destroy that which God truly wanted; her faith. However, Ruthie had to admit that she wanted the answer for herself. For years she had defended God against every argument she had encountered. More than a few skeptics used logic to attempt to shred her faith. Proof would vindicate her, but did she want to bite into the forbidden fruit?

Cassie wanted the answer more than anything. All of her life she had wanted something larger than herself. She tried to find this feeling in churches, graveyards, and even horror novels, but failed. Jack offered an end to the journey. She could have what she had always wanted. But, did she want the answers given to her?

Elijah pondered Jack's words. They were logical and well planned. It was a test. A test of faith. A test to see if was worthy; if he was Chiyanbara.

Caliban glanced away from the others. If there was a God, and part of him hoped that there was not, then he was cast out of God's grace. The darkness provided a cover for his shame. Could a loving God forgive him? Was he not one of the Fallen, the cursed of God? Part of him hoped that a God did exist. Perhaps God could save him?

Marguerite scratched her head. When she was a child, Sister Agatha used to tell her wonderful stories about a man named Jesus. Marguerite used to lie awake at night and wonder. If there was a God, then how could He allow so much pain? If there was a God, He could not be good, at least not how Marguerite defined good. Would a loving good God allow her parents to die?

"So, what's it going to be? What do you want?" Delilah asked.

"No, thanks. I don't need proof," Ruthie said.

"Nor do I," Caliban added.

"I am a Chiyanbara warrior. We bring light to the shadows where no else treads. I am a candle. The rest does not matter," Elijah told them.

"You tell'em Dudley!" Marguerite agreed.

"Cassie? What do you want?" Delilah asked.

"I want to be whole. but I don't think this is the way."

"Was this a test?" Ruthie asked.

Jack chuckled. "Life is a test."

"Should you decide to take the test, the portal over there will take you to it. You have to decide what you really want," Delilah informed them.

"Why do we have to take this test? I thought you said we are the Five," Marguerite asked.

"This is not a test to see if you become the Five. That you already are. This test is to see if you want Xanadu," Delilah told them.

"What happens if we do not take this test?" Elijah questioned him.

Delilah smiled her secret smile to Jack. "We're. . .not allowed to say."

"Why are you not allowed to say?" Caliban asked.

"It's against the rules by which the test is given," Jack answered.

"It is time to decide. Do we become heroes or not?" Elijah asked.

Ruthie knew in her heart that they were destined to lead the children of God out of the New Egypt. She knew that Jesus had touched their hearts and it was only a matter of time before their minds came around. "Yes."

Cassie had always dreamed of such an adventure. She had always wanted a chance to become more than she was. She remembered the thrill she experienced when she first read_ The Hobbit. _ Now a wizard was offering her a way out of her hobbit hole, but did she have the courage to take it? "Thrill me, let's go storm the gate of Hell while we're at it."

Caliban looked away from the others ashamed. The ashes of regret blew softly. As time passed, he would lose more of his humanity until he became the enemy. Did he have the right to endanger his friends for his own salvation? "Yes. Yes. I am already becoming quite bored with the subject."

The vampire smirked. All she wanted to do was hop into her van and drive to Mexico like a bat out of Hell. Every time she trusted someone, they hurt her. She loved Agatha, and Agatha left her without a word. She gave all that she had to Brad, who decided to screw a cheerleader in his Firebird. Yet for a short time, she felt the love of another. Murphy told her that Sister Mary's was in danger. Despite the fact that Murphy was a cold blooded murderer, arrogant beyond belief, and a vampire, Marguerite knew he was not a liar. She actually liked the other members of the Five, even Dudley Do Right. If she did leave them, where did she have to go? Even a wanderer gets tired of the road. "Okay. . .let's do it and get it over with. But I'm am not having a baby!"

The Chiyanbara smiled. Tagami and Iron John had told him that he would find allies. Friends. A family. "Excellent! I knew you would do it."

Delilah snapped, creating a small aqua blue energy vortex that swirled within the confines of the tapestry. Xanadu seemed to filter the perceptions of the individual, Elijah thought. It was almost as though the portal had been there the entire time and they had chose not to look at it.

Jack waved, holding his cigar. "Good luck, kids. Don't piss on any electric fences."

"Will we need it?" Cassie asked.

"Yes," Delilah replied, smiling her secret smile.

The boisterous electronic bell buzzed in the school hallway like an air raid signal. The familiar stench of cigarette smoke, hair spray, and perfume covered the school like a wet blanket. A legion of high school students swarmed around the Five ignoring them as if they did not exist. Thrust into the middle of the students, Elijah nearly fainted. Ruthie, sensing his fear, grasped his hand. "What's going on here? We're like ghosts!" she proclaimed.

Delilah clapped as though the Five were circus animals performing for her benefit. "You are like ghosts in this time, no one can see you or touch you. You have to mentally assert control within this reality. Oh, Marguerite as long as you stay in ghost mode the sun can't hurt you."

"Why are you here?" Marguerite asked.

Delilah opened her arms and spun in a semi-circle. "I am your Guide."

"Where are we?" Elijah asked.

"I believe that one of you already know," Delilah answered.

Nervous, Cassie glanced down at her feet. "We're at Bullard High."

"How do you know?"

"I go to high school here," explained the fairy.

"Or to be more exact, you went to this high school almost one year ago," Delilah added.

"You mean we're in the past?" Cassie asked.

"Only from your limited point of view."

"This test does not seem all that difficult, yes?" Caliban interjected.

"Oh, it gets better," Delilah notified him.

"All of them seem to be gathering in that central building over there," Elijah pointed out.

The vampire squinted at the building. "It looks like there's going to be a rally today."

"Rally? No!" Cassie whispered, mortified.

"What's wrong?" Caliban asked.

Blinking, to fight the tears, Cassie panicked. "I can't tell you right now. I have to check on something!"

"Honey, wait for us. We can help," suggested Ruthie.

Running down the hall, Cassie looked back to her friends. "No. . .please stay here! I have to do this alone."

Changing into fairy form, Cassie darted down the hall. Turning the corner, Cassie frantically burst through a wall into the women's restroom. The others followed her, but stopped outside the door.

It was exactly as she remembered it. The restroom still looked as though it had been out of order for seven years and smelled worse. The mirrors were dirty and cracked. Even from her location she could still see the writing on the stall walls; _If you want to climb Mount Cassie call 875-6621._ Confused, it took Cassie a few seconds to notice the girl that she used to be. Five feet in front of Cassie stood a past reflection of her soul. Looking at herself, Cassie smiled. Back then, her mother used to buy her expensive ankle length dresses from Macy's. Although her hair had been long, Cassie had not yet dyed it black. Her natural brown hair matched the summer colors of her dress.

"It all begins with so much hope," Delilah sighed.

"What are you doing here?" Cassie asked.

"I am your guide. But now you do not need one. You know what will happen. I am here to ask you a simple question. What you want?"

"You know?" Cassie whispered.

"I know that the Drama Club voted you for Homecoming Queen in your junior year of high school and that one of your friends, Rice I believe, fixed the election. As soon as your past-self walks out on stage she's going to be booed worse than Nixon in '73."

Cassie's lip trembled. "Do I have to watch it again?"

"No. It never has to happen, if that is your choice."

"What do you mean?"

"You can stop yourself before you go out on that stage."

"Then it never will have happened?"

"If you wish. . ."

"If I wish? If I wish? You can't imagine what it was like? You're blonde, beautiful, and every man's fantasy. I'm fat, slow, and the girl that stayed home on prom night. When I got nominated to be the Homecoming Queen, I felt liked for the first time in my life. Oh, Dad and Mom loved me. . .I guess, but they never liked me. When they all laughed at me. . .they hurt me! It was like I was nothing! Nothing! I was the joke of the school for weeks. Football players would pass me in the halls and shout, 'Hail Mount Cassie, the Queen.' I almost killed myself!" "You can end the pain. That is what you want," Delilah whispered.

"Yes," Cassie muttered.

Cassie walked over to her former self and reached for her. Instead of passing through her like a ghost, Cassie broke through the barrier and revealed her presence. The younger Cassie turned and dropped her jaw with surprise. "What's the Hell?" the younger Cassie cried.

Cassie wiped the snot from her nose. "Look at me! I'm you. Don't go to the rally. Trust me!"

"No. They like me. They nominated me for Homecoming Queen. I don't know what drugs I took to cause you, but I'm staying straight."

Frantic, Cassie slapped her younger double. "No. They don't. Rice fixed the election. No one voted for us. I am you. I know things. You love Steve. You masturbate to his picture every night. You hate Dad."

The younger Cassie backed herself into one of the stalls. "No. It can't be."

"If you go out there, they're going to hurt you like you've never been hurt before. I know they did it to me."

"How did you get here? What did you do to your hair?" the younger Cassie asked.

"I can't tell you that," the older Cassie answered.

"Will I always be alone?"

Cassie twirled her hair. "No. One day you'll have good friends."

"What about Steve?" the younger Cassie asked.

"You'll never have Steve."

"Never?" the younger Cassie muttered as she cried.

"Never. . ."

"Should we go in there to see what is happening?" Elijah asked the others.

"It wouldn't be appropriate for us to go in there, yes? Ruthie and Marguerite might have a better chance to help her," Caliban suggested.

The vampire blocked the entrance. "She said she wanted to do this alone."

Elijah opened his mouth to respond, but Cassie exited the restroom before he could reply. "Are you okay, honey?" Ruthie asked.

Cassie looked back towards the restroom. "Yeah. . .for the first time in a long time."

"You pass the test?" Marguerite asked.

"I think so," Cassie answered.

"Did she?" Caliban asked Delilah.

Delilah shrugged her shoulders. "I am not allow to say until we reach Xanadu.

On que, the portal opened. Delilah entered it as through she were in a strip club. "Time for the next test."

Caliban grated his fangs. "There is something about her that reminds me of a politician, yes?"

"It's not as though we have much choice," Marguerite snapped.

One by one the Five walked into the portal.

Bright neon lights flickered illuminating the night. The synthetic stench of carbon and decay assailed their noses. High-rise skyscrapers dominated the landscape as though they were mountains in the distance. Cars raced through the Five like a cattle stampede. On instinct, they dodged to the sidewalk where Delilah was waiting amused.

Irritated, Elijah waved a finger towards her. "Where are we?"

She laughed. It was a cat's purr. "You forget. . .I'm not supposed to tell."

Coldly, Caliban surveyed the environment. "We are in the business district of L.A."

"You've been here?" Cassie asked.

"Many times. . .my family owns that building."

Elijah Kincaid looked over at the building. Although not quite the size of Tagami Towers, it looked every bit as impressive. A gigantic sign hung over the main doors with giant gold letters that read _Ernest Enterprises. _

Cassie's eyes bulged. "You didn't say you were that rich."

"I told you enough. There was no need to stress it."

"We are almost a year into the past," Delilah informed them.

Concerned, Caliban faced Delilah. "A year? You're certain, yes?"

Ignoring the closeness of the monster's face, Delilah continued. "I am quite certain. Does this date have any meaning for you?"

Striding towards the building, Caliban passed through several cars. Puzzled, the others followed. "We must reach the top floor."

"As you wish," Delilah said.

Each step was a glacial stab of memory. The hunter returned to the paper jungle. Doeish workers scattered as Gary Ernest prowled his domain searching for a sign of weakness. Satisfied with his appearance to the natives, the lion returned to his den. Cackling, Gary Ernest circled his antique oak desk that had once belonged to John Adams.

Delilah and the Five followed silently. Intrigued, Cassie watched Gary. Genetically, Gary had won the lottery. His muscular body frame would have shamed a body builder. His elfish beauty, inherited from his mother, was akin to an unattainable movie star. Combined, Gary possessed a legendary charisma possessed by a lucky few. "This is Gary Ernest. I'm running late for dinner. Could you delay my reservations by a half an hour? Thanks."

Awed, Cassie poked Caliban. "You never said you were that handsome!"

"Only on the outside."

Delilah smiled her secret smile. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"What?" Caliban asked.

Delilah snapped her fingers rearranging time and space to suit her demands. The bright street lights startled them. It took a few seconds for them to adjust to the sudden change. They were across the street from Ernest Enterprises next to the parking garage. "All you have to do is wait and then you can stop yourself. If that is what you want?"

"You can stop yourself from being one of the Fallen!" Cassie exclaimed.

"I am confused," Elijah said.

Caliban scowled. "In the past, I was not the man that I am today. Because of a hideous crime, I was turned into this."

"What did ya do?" Ruthie asked.

"I murdered someone."

"Was some punk trying to mug you?" Marguerite asked him.

"No. . .it was a bum. Just a bum. All he wanted was a little money."

"Look who's coming," Delilah told the others.

Caliban recognized him instantly. The bum wore clothing that had been scrounged at a discount store and looked as though it had barely escaped the seventies. His thin malnourished body reminded them of pictures from a Nazi concentration camp. His white hair and beard looked as though it had not been combed in a week. It was the man that he had killed, and would kill.

"All you have to do is scare the bum away. That shouldn't be too hard for you, pretty boy," Delilah informed Caliban.

"What will happen if I do?" Caliban asked.

"He will live a few more days before he runs out of food," Delilah answered.

"What will happen to me?" Caliban questioned her.

"You will stay the way you were. Get married to an actress and have three kids, two dogs, and an ulcer."

"Will I ever learn?" Caliban interrogated Delilah.

"I can't believe you're hesitating!" Marguerite snapped.

"You don't understand," Caliban tried to defend himself.

"I understand. You killed someone because he was a bum and now you have a chance to save him and you're debating it!" Marguerite barked.

"Let me explain," Caliban pleaded.

"Let him speak," Elijah told her.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Marguerite asked Elijah.

"A man who has questions," Elijah answered.

"You have until your sorry past-self walks out of the building," Marguerite warned him.

"When I changed, I realized what I had been. I had to become a monster so that I would stop acting like one. The majority of my money has been donated to charity. This last month, a thousand mouths were fed, maybe more. If I stop this, I'll be the man I used to be. I'll ruin good people's lives and make more homeless people. If I stop the bum, I have to stop my past-self as well."

Gary Ernest strutted out of Ernest Enterprises and began to walk across the street. "It's not right," Marguerite told him.

"It is how the Lord wants it," Ruthie told them.

"The Lord wants this old bum to die? Ha! Great God you have there," Marguerite sneered.

"We have to believe that there is a plan. Because of this man's death, Caliban reforms and does His will. Do we have the right to stop this?" Ruthie asked.

"I thought this was our chance to change things?" Cassie answered Ruthie with a question.

"How are we to know?" Ruthie asked.

"I'm going to stop him if you don't," Marguerite told Caliban.

"What do you think?" Caliban asked the others.

"Do it! We can find you and make you better when we get back. And then we. . .you and I could. . ." Cassie told him.

"Is that the way to decide the fate of a man?" Caliban interrupted.

"No. . .but. . .I. . .love you," Cassie cried.

"You love me. . .not that man," Caliban told her softly.

"It would stop the pain," Cassie pleaded.

"I would rather have the pain than nothing."

Ruthie gently placed her hand on Marguerite's shoulder. "We don't have the right to interfere with the Lord's plan."

"What if all of this is the Lord's plan? What if we're supposed to stop this?" Marguerite asked.

Ruthie looked Marguerite in the eyes. "I don't know."

The Chiyanbara watched as the threads of history began to connect. "It is your choice."

"What do you think, Elijah?" Caliban asked.

"A man is the sum of his experiences. Few other men could have changed as you have. We need your strength."

"I can't believe this," Marguerite snarled.

"Do you know what it is like being one of the Fallen? Imagine yourself as a walking statue, living stone. That is what I am, yes. I can no longer feel anything. Oh I can sense it when something touches me, but I can no longer feel it. Yes, my flesh has lost the ability to feel pleasure. Only during the greatest stress can my body fell pain at all. Night after night I have endured this un-life, yet I know that I am more alive now than I have ever been. Let it be."

"No. You think you have the market cornered on feeling pain? When I first became a vampire, I was thrilled. My first thought was no one can push me around anymore. I was wrong. Every night I live with a hunger to feed like you wouldn't believe. It's worse than starvation or being a druggie. Every night I have to feed off the living. I hear the voices calling me all around us. If I had a chance to stop it, I would. Now you're asking me to let you kill this bum, just so you'll stop being an asshole! I don't think so."

The vampire turned her back to others and dashed towards the bum. "Listen to me. This is my choice and I will have to live with it. It is already done!" Caliban yelled.

Ignoring Caliban, Marguerite attempted to push the bum. She focused her will to enter this reality. Her hands passed through the bum unnoticed. "I'm afraid that Caliban has to be the first to effect this time. So sorry. Did I forget to mention that?" said Delilah.

"You know you did!" Marguerite grunted.

"It is my choice and my responsibility. I'll be the one to live with it," Caliban informed her.

Sensing the end of the test, the portal opened. "Just be careful." the vampire warned, "Or you might not live long with it."

"Perhaps," Caliban agreed.

Ignoring the Fallen, the vampire entered the portal. Caliban followed silent. Cassie and Ruthie glanced at each other with a questioning look and then braved the portal. Curious, Elijah watched as Delilah pursued the others with a look that he recognized. It was the same look Elijah once wore when he entered the Viper Room.

The cobblestone road twisted down the hill with perfect precision away from the rising full moon. Glancing around, Elijah Kincaid noticed several large ancient marble ruins, several hills close together, and several large aqueducts. This reality was different than the other two. The smell was cleaner; different. He had read of this place many times. "We are in ancient Rome."

"Oh, and how do you know that?" Cassie asked sarcastically.

"There are several large marble ruins, aqueducts, wooden buildings, villages on hills, and that sign over there that says 'Welcome to Rome.'"

"What sign?" Marguerite asked.

"I was practicing sarcasm."

"Keep practicing," Marguerite replied.

Delilah rolled her eyes and sighed. "Actually, the year is what you would know as 1245 AD."

"I am assuming that each of us is to face a test with our past. None of us were alive then, yes?" Caliban asked, looking towards Marguerite.

"None of you were alive at this moment in history, but this effects one of you just the same."

"I fail to see how," Elijah said, confused.

"Look and learn," Delilah suggested.

The Five looked down the cobblestone road that twisted like a snake to see two figures on horses wildly riding towards them. Five men, knights Elijah assumed from their armor, on horses chased them. The full moon illuminated the sky as though it were early morning.

As the two riders progressed closer it became apparent that they were not Italian. One of them wore a long black cloak that hid his features. The other rider wore silk robes that Elijah guessed were Asian or possibly Arabic. As her features became clear, Elijah knew that he had seen this dark woman once before. She had stood before the great pyramids with Tagami. And if she were here, then her companion could only be one man.

The cloaked rider raised his katana, preparing a defense. It was Tagami, but not the old man Elijah remembered. A young, vital Tagami Yomoto charged the night, attempting to elude the knights.

"I can't believe it!" Cassie muttered, awed.

"What?" Marguerite asked, focusing on the riders.

"That woman. The one that looks like a genie. I've seen her before."

"Where, honey?" Ruthie asked.

Nervous, Cassie swallowed her spit. "In the future."

Drawing his magical sword, Elijah prepared for battle. As the two riders passed their location, Elijah entered the timeline and stood before the charging knights. The sudden appearance of Elijah forced the knights to halt their chase. From their colors and style of armor, Elijah knew the knights were attired from the House of Essex in England. One of the knights, Elijah recognized. MacDuff!

"Who are you stranger?" MacDuff asked in old Italian.

Elijah was glad that Tagami insisted that he learn all of the Romance languages. "I am Elijah Kincaid, the Chiyanbara."

"Step aside!" MacDuff bellowed.

"Make me!" Elijah challenged.

The knights dismounted and drew their weapons. As MacDuff gave the signal to attack, Marguerite, Ruthie, Caliban, and Cassie entered the timeline. Surprised, MacDuff held out his hand to stop the advance of his troops. Intrigued and frightened, MacDuff examined his enemy.

The warrior with the glowing broadsword appeared to be Scottish, but the manner in which he held his weapon suggested that he had been trained by an Oriental Master. The dark skinned vampire appeared to be a Spaniard, but he had never seen such clothing on earth. The monster had to be from Hell. His mother had warned him about such creatures that seek souls. The woman with blond hair seemed extremely weak. Although her face was pretty, she needed to gain weight. The beautiful plump girl interested him. From her eyes, MacDuff guessed that she was one of the Fae. Something was strange. That much MacDuff knew. "We do not wish to fight. We only want the two riders."

"What do you want with them?" Elijah asked.

"They have stolen a baby," MacDuff answered.

"A baby? Whose baby did they steal?" Kincaid questioned him, curious.

"That will be enough!" a voice shouted in old Italian.

Surprised, everyone turned towards the voice. Tagami Yomoto, the man who would become the Chiyanbara Master, proudly advanced towards them. Despite Elijah losing his cloak, it was clear that Tagami wore the same uniform. He waved his glorious katana in a defensive arc.

"Return the boy, Yomoto, and we will let you live," MacDuff offered Tagami.

Yomoto shook his head solemnly. "The boy is safe. That is all that you need to know."

"What're they saying?" Cassie whispered to Caliban.

"I do not know. They're speaking in Italian. . .I think," Caliban answered.

"It's like watching a foreign film without the subtitles," Ruthie complained.

"Elijah will let us know when there is trouble. We have to trust him," said the vampire.

"I am afraid that is not good enough, Yomoto. Tell me now or my knights shall kill you and your demons."

"I tell you again, the boy is out of our hands. Neither of us will see him for a long time."

"Come now. Even with your demons, my vampire knights will take you now that you have stopped running. Surrender the baby or my Thane shall deal with you personally."

"Are you afraid to speak his name?"

"No more then you are."

"You can not win this, old friend," Yomoto insisted.

MacDuff scratched his beard. "Is that so? Perhaps you do not understand the situation."

"No. I understand it all too well. I know your Thane thinks that you are a pawn, but you plan to become more."

"Sensei, what is going on? How did you get here?" Elijah asked.

MacDuff' eyes narrowed as he plotted the possibilities. "Sensei?" MacDuff muttered.

Tagami threw Elijah an angry look. "I do not know you," he said flatly.

MacDuff raised an eyebrow. By denying the information, Yomoto confirmed his suspicions. "Elijah, you must have traveled through Xanadu, did you not?"

"Yes, I did," Elijah answered, earnestly.

"It matters not then, does it Sensei?" MacDuff asked Tagami sarcastically.

Yomoto sighed grimly. "You are observant. I had hoped to avoid this."

"That is why we could not sense the baby. You sent him into the future or the past."

"What baby?' Elijah asked, confused.

"This is getting good," Delilah informed the others.

"What are they talking about?" Marguerite asked, irritated

"Oh, Kincaid's childhood and cabbages and kings."

"Then you have lost everything," MacDuff proclaimed.

"No. Not yet, Finneas."

"My Thane will be happy to find their son grown. And I am certain that you have trained him well, Yomoto."

"Will one of you tell me what is going on?" Elijah asked.

"We're going to meet your parents, boy. Touching how Tagami allowed you to keep your clan name," MacDuff answered.

"That would be bad for both of us, old friend."

"And why is that?" MacDuff asked.

"Because I know what you want most in the world. I was there at your test. I was there when you failed. The only way you can get what you want is to allow Elijah to follow his destiny."

"How do I know that I can trust you?" MacDuff asked.

"We are enemies. You know me better than anyone else. You know that I do not lie. Neither of us do."

MacDuff looked over to his knights, who waited for the conflict eagerly. As soon as he reported his failure to Thane Kincaid, these knights would hang him by his feet and feast upon his bowels. "But I have other obligations."

Tagami stepped past Elijah, preparing for a kill strike. "That is true."

Tagami nodded sternly. MacDuff smiled, returning the nod. Confused, Elijah looked back to his friends hoping one of them understood what was happening to them. Finneas MacDuff spun violently around, catching his knights unaware. Mentally shattering the knights' will, the Scottish vampire gave Tagami Yomoto the opening he had been waiting for. Dazzled, Elijah, Caliban, and Marguerite charged into the fray.

The battle was short with the outcome never in doubt. MacDuff casually wiped a stain of blood from his kilt, studying Elijah and the others. "Then it is settled, Yomoto."

Furious, Elijah turned to MacDuff. "The game ends now, MacDuff!"

Attacking with Ascalon, Elijah would have decapitated the vampire if it had not been for MacDuff's unnaturally quick reflexes. "What are you doing?" Tagami yelled to the man who would be his student.

Confused, Caliban and Marguerite maneuvered around Tagami prepared to attacked MacDuff. Elijah cut them off with a wave of his arms. "He killed my Sensei. MacDuff is mine."

Caliban and Marguerite looked at each other shrugging their shoulders unsure of what to do. "It's your call, Dudley. Just be careful," said the vampire.

MacDuff stretched his arms open in a friendly gesture. "I don't wish to fight you, friend."

Elijah Kincaid laughed. Even as the sounds escaped his throat, it reminded him of the imp known as Bucky. "But I wish to kill you!"

The Chiyanbara attacked using a series of attacks and feints not yet invented in this timeline against the vampire. Only through his superior vampire reflexes was MacDuff able to keep his head. Feeling the bile in his mouth, Elijah Kincaid freed the dark instincts.

Kincaid attacked again with a faster, deadlier series of strikes. By changing the turn of a swing mid-strike, the Chiyanbara found an opening in MacDuff's defense. Like a cobra, Kincaid's blade sliced through the air clashing against the hilt of the vampire's Claymore. The sudden attack knocked the enormous weapon onto the ground.

The Chiyanbara pressed his advantage through a quick kick to the vampire's knee. MacDuff slid forward, catching himself with his hands. Looking up at the Chiyanbara, MacDuff discovered that Elijah stood over him executioner style, preparing for the final blow.

As Ascalon sliced the air, it clashed against another blade. Blindly, Elijah instantly counterattacked the blocker. Sensuous rage! He attacked and parried and counterattacked. The instinct and training had taken over. Elijah Kincaid died. Only the Chiyanbara and the enemy existed.

The enemy continued to block all of his strikes, but seemed to tire. As the Chiyanbara found an opening, a hand grasped his shoulder tightly, grunting wildly. He rolled back, holding Ascalon in an offensive arc. The hills had come alive with MacDuff's minions and the Chiyanbara vowed to stand alone; to hold the candle. _Kill MacDuff! Kill MacDuff! Kill MacDuff!_

He attacked them all. The last sensation he remembered was a pale, slimy hand slapping him upon on the head.

When he awoke, Marguerite was standing over him. Her face twisted with concern. "What happened?" Elijah asked with a groan.

"You went fuck-wild trying to kill MacDuff."

"MacDuff!" he cried.

Elijah moved to retrieve Ascalon, but Marguerite stopped him, placing her boot on his chest. "He's gone! Settle down!"

"I. . .am fine. Let me up. I have to warn him."

The vampire narrowed her eyes, suspiciously. "MacDuff and Tagami split about ten minutes ago."

"You let them go together?" Elijah cried.

"I had to. Tagami told us everything. It took a while for him to figure out we were speaking English. It was even harder for us to understand their English."

"Yes. The English language was different then. I remember Sensei warning me about that."

"Anyway, Tagami managed to get his message across. MacDuff has to live. At least until we get back to our time. Otherwise, there'll be Hell to pay."

"Does he not know?"

"That MacDuff kills him? Yeah, I think he does since you screamed it about twenty times," Marguerite answered grimly.

"Then why did he go with him?" Elijah asked.

"I don't know."

"I almost had him. I almost had him!"

"You beat him. Nothing can take that from you."

"Where are the others?" Elijah asked, concerned.

The vampire looked towards the trees. "They're trying to wash Caliban's trenchcoat at the aqueduct. You cut him pretty bad."

"What did I do?" Elijah asked.

Marguerite sighed. "You cut into his hand. Almost cut it clear off. He said it'd heal over soon. He just needed to wash it out. Cassie went to watch over him and Ruthie wanted to pray with them."

"Then he does not have a stump?"

"Nope. Not yet."

I did not mean to. . ."

Her eyes softened. "I know. I know. Delilah said that you couldn't get past the anger."

Delilah! That had to be the voice he had heard while attacking MacDuff. "Where is Delilah?"

"With the others."

"We should not leave them alone with her."

"You know something that I don't?"

"Just a feeling. Somehow I sense that Delilah wants us to fail. When I was attacking MacDuff, it was almost as though she wanted me to kill all of you. I heard her voice. I just didn't want to fight it."

"Then we're going to have to watch her."

Marguerite offered her hand to help Kincaid to his feet and he took it. As she pulled him up, Elijah was surprised by Marguerite's strength, even if she was a vampire. Cassie and Caliban emerged from the bushes on the other side of the road. "We found the portal over by the aqueduct," the fairy informed them.

"I trust that you are all right," Caliban said stiffly to Elijah.

"Yes. I hope you are the same," Elijah responded, earnestly.

"I am. One of the benefits and curses of my nature is that I can heal virtually any injury given time, yes?"

Ruthie pushed her way through the bushes, standing next to Caliban and Cassie. She gave Marguerite a questioning look. Marguerite nodded and Ruthie sighed. "Are you okay, honey? That's a huge bruise on your forehead!"

"I feel better. Although it does feel as though an elephant tap-danced on my head."

"Sorry. I did try to slap you lightly."

Elijah chuckled, though it hurt his head. "Lightly? I would be afraid to have you hit me hard."

"Delilah is waiting, yes?"

Elijah and Marguerite followed the others to the energy portal next to the aqueduct. The Five gathered around the portal while Delilah sat on a rock watching the aqueduct. Gently, Elijah put his hand on Caliban's shoulder. "Forgive me," he pleaded.

"There is nothing to forgive, yes?"

"Forgive him, Caliban. 1 John 1:8-9 'If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness," Ruthie recited.

"Forgive me."

Caliban grabbed Elijah's hand, who tried not to shiver from the strange touch. "I forgive you," Caliban whispered.

"I knew I should have brought a camera!" Delilah interjected.

"No one asked you," Marguerite growled.

"Marguerite! Don't be rude!"

"Yeah! What's wrong with you?" Cassie asked, irritated.

Marguerite looked to Elijah for an answer. She could see on his face that he had none. "Nothing. Just tired."

"Then let's go through the portal, yes?"

"Thrill me," Cassie said.

As the Five walked through the portal, Delilah smiled. It was a smile of victory.


	7. Chapter 7

The Highway West Andrew 227

Chapter Seven: Jack's Bar and Grill

_The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice._

_"Who are you?" said the Caterpillar._

_This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, "I-I hardly know, sir, just at present--at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have changed several times since then."_

_Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland_

The deafening church bells assailed their ears. Since Sherman's march to the sea, the church bells of the Southern Baptist Church of Preston had been rung promptly at eight o' clock every Sunday morning. While Preston had not been in the direct line of Sherman's march, more than a few battles were fought nearby. Although the wounds from the American Civil War had slowly healed over the last hundred years, the scars still plagued the small town Preston, Alabama.

It only took a few moments before they realized that they had been teleported into the bell tower. "We need to get out of here!" Cassie screamed, covering her ears.

As they made their way down the ladder, the bells rang again, which only made their ears hurt worse. "Do not the bells hurt your ears, Marguerite?" Elijah asked, seeing that she did not seem effected.

"Nah, I've been to a Motley Crue concert," the vampire replied.

By the time they climbed out of the bell tower, even Marguerite's ears hurt. They gathered towards the end of the hall. Beautiful white wedding decorations lined the church. Several bouquets of expensive and exotic white flowers were strategically placed through out the church. At the altar, two unity candles molded in the shape of angles awaited the bride and groom.

After checking the antique church clock, Ruthie discovered that it was twelve o' clock rather than eight. The only time Ruthie could remember this church ringing its bells at a time other than Sunday mornings was on her wedding day. Her brother James, who had been in charge of the bells for years, decided to ring the bells in honor of her wedding.

Ruthie felt the blood drain from her face, turning it as white as her wedding dress had been. "What's wrong?" Cassie asked.

"I know where we are," Ruthie said.

"Where?" Cassie asked.

"My church back home," Ruthie answered.

"Do you know when?" Caliban asked.

"Yes. The day I got married," Ruthie revealed.

"Do you see Delilah?" Elijah whispered to Marguerite.

"No? Do you?" Marguerite replied.

"No. Why isn't she here?" Elijah asked.

"You don't suppose. . . it's because we're in a church?" Marguerite inquired.

"Why do you think that we're here, Miss Jones?" Caliban asked.

"To stop the wedding."

Although Marguerite knew that Keith, Ruthie's ex-husband, had not been the best husband in the world, she did not and could not understand his impact on Ruthie. The mere thought of Keith sent her heart racing. The service had started promptly at one 'o clock, which meant that Ruthie still had an hour. She tried to remember where exactly she was at noon on her wedding day, but she couldn't. In the morning, she went with her mother to have her makeup done at the beauty salon and then she went to the church conference room to try to relax before the wedding.

"The conference room," Ruthie muttered as she darted towards the other end of the church.

The others, unsure of exactly what was happening, followed. Ruthie burst into the conference room only to see her mother give her past-self advise about her honeymoon. Seeing a younger Ruthie wearing her pure white satin wedding dress sent waves of awe through the others. She looked like a princess or the heroine of a soap opera. To Ruthie, the beauty of the moment only heightened her horror.

"What's the deal?" Marguerite asked.

"Do you really want to know my shame?" Ruthie asked them.

"If I didn't want to know, I wouldn't have asked."

"We need to stop the wedding."

"You already said that. You care to tell us why?" Cassie asked.

"Keith is not the man that I thought he was when we got married. It was so hard. Mamma always told me to save myself until my wedding night. I did. Keith wanted more."

"I do not understand," said Elijah.

Marguerite gave Elijah a dirty look and slapped him on the chest. "I know you just rolled off the hay wagon, but try to put two and two together."

"No. It's okay. I don't understand it either. It wasn't supposed to be that way. I couldn't satisfy him. Not in the normal way. Mama told me that the only way we were supposed to. . .you know, do it was the normal way. She said any other way was the work of the devil. Keith wasn't happy that way. First, he wanted. . . to experiment a little. After that, it got out of control. I wanted to stop, but he. . .hit me. He liked doing that. He would hit me and get excited by it."

The others felt as though a wet wool blanket has been stuffed down their throats. To Elijah it was a foreign concept beyond imaging. Marguerite had always thought of Ruthie as someone born with a silver spoon in her mouth who never had any problems. She always suspected that the reason Ruthie was good was because she had never had the chance to be bad. Knowing Ruthie's past caused Marguerite to view her in an entirely different light. Cassie tried not to cry, but the tears came anyway. She thought about expressing her feeling in words, but her mouth seemed to be paralyzed. She didn't know what to say. Caliban found himself shocked. Ruthie's pureness had become his ideal. Now that Ruthie was not a pure as she seemed, Caliban felt better about himself, much to his own disgust. If Ruthie could find hope, why not Caliban?

None of them dared to speak. It would have broken the silent bond that had formed between them. Eventually, it was Elijah that shattered the silence. "How do you want to stop the wedding?"

"When my mother leaves, I'll talk to my past-self."

It took twenty minutes before Ruthie's mother finally left. "I thought the old battle-axe would never leave. Oh, sorry Ruthie," Marguerite blurted, turning crimson.

"That's okay, honey. She is a battle-axe."

"You think you can handle it?" Marguerite asked.

"I have to."

Ruthie willed herself out of the ghost mode and entered the timeline. "Oh my Lord!" Ruthie's past-self cried.

"Please. Don't scream! I have to warn you!"

As the younger Ruthie opened her mouth to scream, Caliban appeared next to her. His horrifying visage stunned her, cutting short her scream. Her muscles in her face and neck tensed and her eyes rolled back into her head. As she started to faint, Ruthie shook her shoulders violently. "Listen to me! Please!"

"In the name of Jesus, leave me be."

"I am you, girl."

"Yea, you have my shape," the younger Ruthie admitted.

"Look at me. Remember when you and Bobby Washington were trapped in the storm? Remember when you hid behind the curtain to hear Keith ask Daddy if he could court us?"

"Yes. How can you know that?" Ruthie's past-self asked.

"I was there. I am you. Listen to me. God has brought me here to stop this wedding."

"With that?" the younger Ruthie asked as she pointed at Caliban.

"He is a friend. Do not judge him by his appearance."

"Why should I? On the word of a demon?" the younger Ruthie replied.

"Because if you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Keith isn't what we thought he was. Oh, we ignored his temper. We assumed it would get better, but it never does. Do ya hear me! It never does."

"No. You're lying."

"No. You know I'm not. Remember Sasha? Remember what she told you?"

"She was just jealous," the younger Ruthie defended Keith.

"Was she? Remember her bruises? Do you want those?" Ruthie asked.

The past and future Ruthie cried. "No."

"All that I can ask is that you pray. Jesus haith said 'Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.' If you pray to him and ask him, you will know what to do."

"What will I do?" the younger Ruthie asked.

"Love God," Ruthie answered.

"The portal is here," Elijah whispered to Ruthie.

"I have to go now," Ruthie told her past-self.

"Don't leave. How will I know?" Ruthie's past-self asked.

"You will know. You already do."

"Are you sure that you're ready?" Marguerite asked.

"No. But I've done all that I can do."

"Who are you talking to?" Ruthie's past-self asked.

"A good friend," Ruthie answered.

"The best friend I ever had," the vampire agreed.

Ruthie look one last glance at the girl she used to be. Growing up had been hard with Keith. She only hoped that she made things better. Cassie reached out for Ruthie and took her hand. Ruthie smiled despite her tears. The Five entered the portal as Ruthie's past-self pondered a decision that would change her life forever.

Car horns that sounded like trumpets blasted in their ears. The car lights illuminated the night like lights on a Christmas tree. Along the winding road that crossed the bridge were hundreds of cars waiting for their chance to cross into the United States. Twenty young Mexican boys and girls earned their living by washing windshields and selling oranges. Once the cars reached the checkpoint, a few guards would search the car, accept a bribe, and then allow the car to pass through the gates, cross the Rio Grande, and enter into the United States.

"Que Pasa?" Delilah asked the Five.

"Where were you?" Marguerite asked.

"I got lost," Delilah informed her sardonically.

Marguerite looked over to Elijah who shrugged his shoulders as if to say that he did not know what to do. "Where are we?" Marguerite asked.

Laughing, Delilah performed her version of the Mexican Hat Dance.

"We're in Mexico, Senorita."

"Okay, why are we here?" Cassie asked.

"In the brown Ford to the left is a Papa, Mama, and little baby Marguerite. It seems as though Papa pissed off the government. Said they own too much of the land and the people had no control. He was right, but then what does that matter? Anyway, he found out someone placed a hit on him so he packed up his kid and went to California. Or at least that was the plan. When the car reaches the checkpoint they all go boom."

"Does that sound right?" Elijah asked Marguerite, suspicious.

"I don't know. No one at Sister Mary's knew much about what happened to my parents."

"Then it could be true, yes?"

"Of course it's true. Have I lied yet?" Delilah asked.

Elijah squinted at Delilah as though he were examining her. "I don't know. Have you?"

"She's helped us before," Cassie protested.

"Has she? Has she really helped us?" Elijah asked.

Delilah smiled sweetly. "That's up to you to decide."

The vampire ignored their chatter, staring at the brown Ford. "It doesn't matter. We stop the bomb."

"How?" asked the Fallen.

"No offense Caliban, but you remind me of a local superstition. Night of the Living Dead and all of that. You show up, you could scare them back."

"True, but they need to be told that there is a bomb in there car."

Marguerite rubbed her temples as though her head hurt. "I know. I just wasn't sure if I wanted to meet them."

"I thought you always wanted parents?" Ruthie asked, surprised that the words had escaped her mouth.

"I do. I just. . .don't know if I can handle seeing them."

Cassie put her hand on Marguerite's back and smiled. "You handled everything else so far on this trip. You can do this too."

Delilah smiled her secret smile. "I hate to be rude, but tick tock. . .tick tock."

The vampire nodded to Elijah, who smiled. Walking towards the brown Ford, Marguerite willed herself out of the ghost mode. Surprised, she smiled to see that she looked like her mother. Both of them had the same long thick brown hair and almond eyes. The difference was that her mother looked happy and at peace, Marguerite never did.

Between her father's thick bushy mustache and his large black sunglasses, it was difficult to see what he looked like. His body looked strong as though he had spent many hours in the fields. The shape of his broad nose suggested that he had been in more than a few fights. He seemed nervous as though he knew what was about to happen.

Marguerite tapped on the window. Tense, her father rolled the window down. "What do you want?" he asked in Spanish.

His voice was rich with pride. It was everything that she had hoped. "You have to leave the car. There's a bomb under it," Marguerite replied.

The woman, her mother, shivered at the mention of bomb. "A bomb? What are you talking about?" she asked, frightened.

Marguerite took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "The Federals put a bomb in your car. It's set to go off once you hit the bridge."

"Oh God, no!" the woman cried.

"Trust me! You need to leave. Take your baby and go. Walk across the bridge, but don't take the car."

"Do we know you?" her father asked.

"Not yet, sir, but I hope to."

"We don't even know your name," the woman protested.

"Marguerite."

"Come on! Come on!" the guard yelled in Spanish.

"I have to go. Don't drive that car across that bridge!" Marguerite told them.

"I won't," her father promised.

"May Saint Mary smile upon you," her mother said.

"She already has."

Marguerite watched as her father turned the Ford around and parked at the gas station. Her father carried a suitcase, while her mother carried her past-self. Together they walked across the bridge to freedom.

"Are you okay, honey?" Ruthie asked.

Stunned, the vampire had trouble filtering her emotions. As the Sanchez family vanished on the horizon, the portal reappeared. "We'll see."

The Five stepped into the portal not knowing where it would take them. Delilah smiled. Although she had lost a few battles, she had won the war.

Jack sat in his easy chair waiting. Although he knew that time had no quantitative meaning in Xanadu, he felt as though he had been waiting for hours. Silently, he smoked his stogie and stared at the tapestry. The threads would not change until the Five returned, but he hoped he could catch a glimpse of what was happening. According to the rules, neither he or Delilah were allowed to interfere. Naturally, Delilah cheated. He focused on the point where the five threads merged and become one.

The thread shifted gray then melted to a dark ebony. The black spread to the other threads, transmuting the tapestry of many colors into the shadow rainbow. The portal, now a swirling black, opened returning the Five.

"What's wrong?" Ruthie asked, noticing the discoloration of Jack's face.

Jack dropped the stogie in his lap, shell-shocked. The cigar burned into his trousers, but the old man ignored the burns. Coldly, Caliban brushed the embers out and put out the cigar. "What happened?"

Jack Covell remembered when he stormed the gates of Auschwitz. Surviving all of the death, destruction, and war, he had thought it might finally end. The Five were the last chance. "The end."

Delilah cackled, waving her hair as though she were in a fashion shoot. "Perhaps I could explain."

"Please do," Ruthie said, politely.

The vampire grunted. "Make it good," she warned.

"You five no longer exist. Oh right now you are still who you have always been. As soon as you leave Xanadu, the timeline will sort out and a new reality will be formed."

"The tests," Elijah muttered.

"Yes, the tests! You all had a chance to grow outside yourselves and failed according to Jack's point of view."

"How did we fail?" Elijah asked.

"Do you really want to know?" Delilah asked.

"Oh, thrill me," Cassie replied.

"Well let's begin with you then, Mount Cassie. It seems as though poor Cassie had been hurt by the fact that a few pimple faced jerks laughed at her. You see, she had the chance to be a queen, but ended up as the jester. Such a sad day. But she had the chance to change things. She never had to live through that day. Well, you ever hear of Nietzsche? You know 'That which does not kill us makes us stronger?' Well you didn't get strong enough. All of us have a time when we decide to be members of the herd or heroes. You never had your chance. It seems as though you couldn't handle your loneliness so you drank Liquid Drano and died. Very poetic. You even left a picture of Steve next to you on the bed."

"You bitch!" Cassie cried.

"But wait there's more."

"That is enough," Caliban barked.

"Oh sweet Caliban. You were the only one the passed the test. I would have sworn you'd be the first to go. I guess I can't win them all. Still, how did it feel to murder the old bum twice?"

Elijah drew Ascalon. "I would not do that if I were you, Kincaid. Xanadu is mine now. What's wrong? Afraid that your life will be different when you get back? Don't worry Tagami fixed that. Even though you screwed up and failed, you'll be just fine. I didn't take into account the fact that you've already traveled in time."

"What difference does that make?" the Chiyanbara asked.

"You can't have a double paradox. Tagami knew what was going to happen so he was able to stop you from killing MacDuff. He knew you would be screwed if you did. So even though you failed you ended up setting your own history. Oh well, three out of five isn't too bad."

"What about my parents?" Marguerite asked.

"Oh, they're fine. You have four brothers by the way. You all live in the San Fernado valley. Your married to a wonder plumber and have three kids."

"I'm married. . .with kids," Marguerite muttered, horrified.

"Oh, you wished you would have had time to travel, but hope one day you'll get around to it."

"What about me? Did I marry Keith?" Ruthie asked.

"No. You broke off your wedding. You remembered talking to yourself but thought it was a dream. It seems as though Bobby Washington decided he loved you after all. You were married six months later and had two boys. Preston was shocked over a white woman marrying a black man. It's a southern thing, you know. Your Reverend told you marrying him was against God. You decided that if God was against your love for Bobby, you didn't want to be for Him."

"Then it is over?" Ruthie asked.

"Oh, of course. See you wouldn't have it any other way. Vanity rules all of you. None of you could see the trees for the forest."

"What will happen?" Marguerite asked, devastated.

"There's this dude named the Shadow Lord. I know his real name but that would be telling. Around two hundred years ago, he found what he thought was a minor artifact of evil. After doing a bit of research, he discovered it was the First Seal of Creation."

"The First Seal of Creation? What's that?" Cassie asked.

"While humanity was still counting with their toes, seven keys were given to the Created to watch over the world. These keys had the power of life and death."Ruthie dropped to her knees. "You're talking about the Seals of Revelation! Oh Lord, the Apocalypse!"

"The what?" Cassie asked.

"The Seals of Revelation! In the Book of Revelations, it has been said that the end of the world will begin with the opening of the first seal."

"The Shadow Lord can open the First Seal of Creation if he can corrupt the three points of his chosen mystical triangle of power. Any guesses where the points are?" Delilah asked.

"The Viper Room," Elijah answered.

"Nope. Try again."

"St. Elmo's Cemetery," Caliban interjected.

"One down. . .two to go."

"Sister Mary's School for Children," Marguerite guessed.

"Good guess Sherlock. One to go."

"Tagami Towers," Elijah said.

"Excellent. You do have a few brain cells between you."

"And we were to stop him?" Cassie asked.

"Oh yes. You were going to do quite a bit. Stop the Shadow Lord, destroy the Seal, and even save the world a couple of times. But when it comes right down to it, it is pretty easy to die for a cause. But can any of you live for one?"

"I can't believe this," Cassie cried.

"It can't be over," Elijah insisted.

"Oh Lord, please give us a sign," Ruthie prayed.

Delilah cackled. "Ha! You pray for a sign when the answer is clear to you. Dear sweet Ruthie. You never even admitted why you wanted to stop the wedding. You didn't want to stop Keith from hurting you, you were afraid you'd like it too much. You didn't mention your adventures together, did you? I didn't think so. You can't stand for others to not think you're perfect. You have to be the angel, even when your not. You could stop all of this, even now, but you won't. You see our way works better. It is not who you are. It's what you want!"

"I thought you said you've won?" Caliban asked.

"I have. You won't go back," Delilah answered arrogantly.

"We can go back!" Cassie cried.

"You can but you won't. Hard to be the hero when it hits you close to home, isn't it?"

"We have to go back," Elijah told the others.

"Agreed," Caliban said.

"Can we stop ourselves? What about the paradox?" Ruthie asked.

"We have to try," Cassie said.

"No," the vampire replied.

"No? What are you thinking?"

Marguerite turned from the others. "If we go back, my parents die. There has to be another way," she insisted.

"There is no other way," Caliban stated.

"The Lord demands a sacrifice. This is our sacrifice. 'The Lord said unto Abraham, give up Isaac your only son.'"

"That's easy for all of you to say, but you had parents. When I grew up. . .I had nothing. Every night I used to cry myself to sleep because I didn't have a mother to tuck me in. I didn't have a father to hold me close. This is what I've wanted all my life! You're asking me to give it up?"

"I don't want ta be married to Keith, but I have to. It is God's will."

"It might be God's will, but it's not mine!" Marguerite barked.

"You think I want to go out on that stage and have them laugh at me? That hurt more than you can ever imagine. It took everything I had not to kill myself. But if I don't, everyone I've ever loved will be dead," said the fairy.

"Everyone I've ever loved left me," said the vampire.

"Although I would never threaten anyone, this is not a choice that can be made for selfish reasons. You have to go with us," the Fallen insisted.

Marguerite's eyes turned scarlet. _"Do I?"_ she asked.

"No she does not," The Chiyanbara interjected.

Angry, Cassie pushed Elijah on the shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Although I had a father, I missed not having a mother. We can not demand that she make this sacrifice."

Caliban stepped closer to the vampire. "For the world, we have to."

Elijah held Ascalon slightly higher and stepped towards Caliban. "I do not agree with her, but I will not let you take that choice away from her."

Ruthie closed her eyes, trying to think of a prayer. "We should not be fighting."

"Yeah, we should be kicking her ass," Cassie agreed, pointing at Delilah.

Delilah fingered them to come closer. "Just try it. Give me an excuse."

Caliban opened his arms in a gesture of friendship. "I believe that each of us knows the right thing to do. We could argue all night and not get any where. Logic can prove anything. You know what we should do."

Cassie looked the vampire in the eyes with love. "Think about what type of world you're giving to your parents. Who wants to live with demons?"

Ruthie stood and faced the vampire. "Marguerite, I love you. Please. We need you."

Coldly, she held her arms on her hips. "What do you think, Dudley?" "It is a hard choice. If we are to be heroes, these are the choices we have to face. If you can do this, you can do anything. Tagami was the only father I had. He is dead. I tried to kill MacDuff, but I do not regret it. For me, nothing had changed. The question for you is deciding who you wish to be."

"Where'd you read that one? Inside a fortune cookie?" Marguerite asked.

"Hamlet. 'To be or not to be.'"

"Are you going to let them tell you what to do? Is that what you want?" Delilah asked Marguerite.

"I guess that what good friends do sometimes."

"Do this mean you'll come back?" Cassie asked, thrilled.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Delilah stepped closer to the vampire. "You don't want to do that. Think about your parents."

"Do you know what I want?" the vampire asked.

Delilah smiled. "Please, inform me. Perhaps I can arrange it."

The vampire smiles, fangs gleaming. "I want to rip your head off and use it for an ashtray. Can you arrange that?"

Elijah smirked as Delilah's face turned crimson. "Shall we go?"

"Yes, let's go honey."

Marguerite slowly waltzed past Delilah. She turned slightly and blow her a kiss. "Oh, by the way. . .Delilah dear, we'll be back."

The ebony energy portal opened, awaiting the Five. Holding hands, they walked through the portal and into the past. The colors saturated the tapestry. The shadow rainbow banished to the void. Jack Covell lit his stogie and smiled.

"You almost won but your arrogance cost you. You just had to brag. You should work on that. It is a rather strong weakness."

Delilah stomped her feet. "Your faith in them is your weakness."

"Is it a weakness or a strength? Oh by the way, I would leave if I were you. They will not be happy when they return and I would hate to be inside your shoes when they catch you."

Violently, the vampire kicked over the leather chair. "Where is she?"

Jack waved his cigar in his hand, smiling. "She left."

"What the Hell happened to this place? Where in the Hell did she go?" Marguerite asked.

Xanadu had changed from an antique looking bookstore to a seedy looking bar lined with thousands upon thousands of books. A thin layer of smoke clouded the room. Several booths were arranged through out the main lobby. The basic layout of the building had not changed. The tapestry did not move; however, a huge wooden counter had grown around it. "Welcome to Jack's Bar and Grill," he replied, ignoring Marguerite's questions.

"We won!" Cassie cheered.

"Yep! Delilah thought she should split before you guys came back. I wonder why?" Jack asked rhetorically, washing a beer mug with a dirty rag.

"Where is she? I'm going throw down with her!" Marguerite demanded.

"Don't know. Don't care. Doesn't matter. The Bar is ours and open for business."

"What business?" Caliban asked.

"The Bar is a place for the army of light to gather, to rest, to collect information. For now, this place is at your service."

"Is everything restored?" Caliban asked.

"Yes. Everything is as it was before and more," Jack stated.

"What do you mean?" Ruthie asked.

"You've grown."

"Then we have won?" Elijah asked.

"You have won the Bar, if you wish. Nothing more. So don't get cocky."

"I don't mean to be rude, but what is this place anyway?" Ruthie asked.

"We're at the center of the universe. From here, we're connected to everywhere. For an example, the void that you crossed is connected to that portal."

"You've already said that! Tell us something we don't know. What's the point of the Bar?" Cassie asked.

"Knowledge. Within these walls are pages that humanity has forgotten. It's been my dream that this knowledge would give humanity the chance to evolve. Become something more than lawyers and accountants."

"It's a damn library!" Marguerite muttered, shaking her head.

"Oh yea and much, much more."

"Okay. . .so what's so important about Xanadu, or Jack's Crack, that you have to put us through all this shit?"

"As much as I hate to use clichŽs, knowledge is power."

"May I ask what knowledge is stored here that is so important?" Elijah asked.

"Glad ya asked, m'boy. Glad you asked. The sum of human knowledge is stored here if you know where to look."

Elijah smiled, slyly. "Excellent, I wish to know how you came to this place."

"It's a long story."

"Before it was not important. If I am to trust you, I must know."

Jack Covell took a long puff on his cigar. "It started after World War II. Life seemed a little boring. Oh, there were still the Russians, but we had saved the world for democracy and apple pie. I just couldn't go back to the factories, not after the war. So I decided to be a cop, but I quickly found that I didn't like all of the rules and regulations. Eventually, I set up shop as a Private Investigator. I figured I'd found the perfect life with great hours, decent pay when I worked, and even a little excitement now and then."

"Then life got too exciting, yes?"

"I just couldn't let life have its mysteries. One day I got curious and saw a couple of things that were supposed to be secret. The main man downstairs decided I knew too much so they sent a Defiler after me. I got lucky and the Defiler was careless. After shooting him about ten times, the bastard finally died and in his pocket was a Tempus."

"Now, I'm confused. What the Hell is a Defiler? What's a Tempus?" Marguerite asked.

"In a nut shell, a Tempus is a magical totem that gives special powers to mortals and drafts them into the Eternal War. Those who would be good become Sentinels. Those who would be evil become Defilers. I became a Sentinel. I was the last Sentinel."

"Why the last one?" Cassie asked.

"I served my purpose and learned to transcend the flesh. Something happened to the all of the Tempuses. Something happened to the Dreamweb. I can't explain why but they're only attracted to Defilers now. This might have something to do with the Shadow Lord. It might not. I was supposed to be a Guide and help the Big Guy upstairs kick a little spiritual ass, but I was left without Sentinels to teach."

"So then you were assigned here to teach us, yes?"

"Close enough to call jazz."

"We can learn anything here? As long as we ask the right question. Correct?"

"Yep."

"I wish to know MacDuff's history."

"Elijah! We have other matters at hand," Ruthie said.

"No. He's testing me. right?" Jack asked.

"I can not believe what you say until you prove some of what you are telling us. Other have lied to us."

Marguerite smirked. "And you want MacDuff's head on a silver platter."

"Any color of platter will do."

"I can't show you his entire life, but I can show you his focus point. Look into the tapestry and concentrate on MacDuff. Search for the thread that belongs to MacDuff. Yeah, you found it. Now, focus on that thread. Can you see it?"

"Yes," Elijah answered, peering into the past.

As the radiant sun set in the horizon, Finneas MacDuff spotted his wretched new hovel. The small, rotting cottage paled in comparison to Castle MacDuff, but it was all that he could afford since the raid. Most of his clan died that day. The rest were scattered across Europe fighting to survive.

MacDuff elected to remain in his homeland with his mother. The Saxons would never drive him completely off his land. He swore that even in death, he would haunt them for eternity.

His only worry was his mother. Mary MacDuff married at a young age to an old man who was more father than lover. Alone, she looked to her son for companionship treating him like a favorite sibling. She sang and danced and weaved the dark fog from Finneas.

The siege had changed her; violated her. The old women whispered in the village that she had been warned about the massacre by the devil, but choose not to tell the clan. Killing three men in a duel at the tavern silenced the rumors, but the fear remained like a bitter aftertaste.

Trudging through the marsh, the weary warrior felt uneasy. The hovel seemed wrong. The hearth was dark and cold. Smoke should have been snaking out the long shaft, reaching for the night. His mother had let the fire go out and yet as far as he could recall, Mary MacDuff had never failed to keep the fires burning.

Anxious, MacDuff raised his Claymore charging the cottage. Violently bursting through the thin rotting door, Finneas found his mother.

Languidly, she lounged naked in the center of the tiny shack. Her long auburn hair had been braided to her side as though she were about to enter the field of battle. Her sparkling green eyes focused on the think ebony cat that she held close to her breasts. "By Christ's wounds, mother!"

Gazing hungrily at him, Mary grinned. "Hello, my son."

"Mother, what are you doing? Surely, this is the work of Satan!"

She laughed. "I have found a way to win back the castle."

Shaking, Finneas raised his weapon. "Mother, what have you done?"

Her response was silence. She gestured at the candles, positioned in a circle surrounding her with a five foot radius. Despite the damp wind, the wicks ignited. The soft light illuminated her body performing a wicked shadow dance. His eyes wandered from her face to her breasts.

Raw, Finneas dropped his sword. Between her breasts a third nipple had appeared. "Mother? What is this evil? Surely, we can fight it!"

Mary continued to grin, feline-like. The black cat mewed softly and jumped out of her embrace. Startled, MacDuff watches as it slinked out of the cottage. "Remove your gloves, son."

MacDuff obeyed his mother. Delirious, he knelt next to her on the dirt floor. "Come to me, son."

MacDuff obeyed. He always obeyed his mother. "Mother, what is happening? I can call for the priest!"

Purring, Mary directed his hand to her soft breasts. MacDuff gently caressed one and then switched to the other only to touch the third nipple. Although it felt like her other nipples, it felt wet. He brought his finger to his nose and smelled it. The smell of blood tickled his nose. She had been feeding the cat with her blood!

"Don't resist, Finneas. You know that you want this. I've seen you watch me. I've seen you lust for me."

It was almost as though MacDuff had been the puppet and his mother controlled the strings. She rubbed the stubble on his face, admiring it. She whispered soft words. "We have many things to learn about each other, my son."

She kissed her son. At first it was slow, allowing the shock to wash over him like the mist. She felt the passion stir in his blood. The pace quickened. They writhed like animals. The mother tore off the clothing of the son. "Relax, love, and enjoy the feelings."

MacDuff always obeyed his mother.

He awoke to hear his mother chant. It was Latin. Finneas had been tutored by a priest before the dark days. He had never heard these words before. The rhythm reminded him of Mass only the words were recited backwards.

Her scent clung his body. Glancing around the room, he could not find his mother. Covering himself with a wool blanket, MacDuff peered outside.

Naked and covered with mud, Mary MacDuff danced before a huge bonfire in worship. A circle had been drawn around the campfire with gray chalk. Curious, MacDuff stepped into the circle, clutching onto his mother. "Mother! In the name of Christ! What is happening?"

Startled, she looked into his eyes as though she had never given birth to him. Thunder lit the skies. "The Lord of the Hunt is coming."

The wind howled like a banshee. "Who?"

"The Lord of the Hunt. He comes to grant a boon to us."

A black vortex of swirling energy formed at the base of the bonfire. Frightened, the warrior followed his first instinct. Feverish, MacDuff darted towards his sword inside the hut.

Savagely, MacDuff took his weapon and returned to his mother. In his haste, Finneas stepped onto the circle, breaking a link. As Mary screamed, a dark man stepped from the portal.

He was handsome and powerful and clearly of noble birth. Mary dropped to her knees and he smiled gently. "Who calls the Lord of the Hunt?"

Tearfully, Mary smiled. "Greeting, servant of the Goddess. I have taken my son in Her name."

The Lord of the Hunt motioned to MacDuff. Forces beyond the power of men slammed him to the ground. Fingers of mud and stone clutched onto the warrior holding him to the ground. "What are you doing, my Lord?" Mary demanded.

The Lord of the Hunt cackled. "You ignorant bitch! You mess with matters you can not begin to understand."

Mary mentally prepared the words of binding. "What are you doing? You are to serve me in the name of the Goddess."

The Lord of the Hunt grabbed her by the hair and laughed. "I serve no-one. You opened a hole in the Great Barrier and I crossed over. The Lord of the Hunt is dead. I killed him two hundred years ago, wench!"

Mary MacDuff screamed. The dark man's fingers chilled her as though she were frozen in a river of ice. "Some mortals call me Mephistopheles. You couldn't fathom my true name. I am one of the Created. I watched as the foundation of this world was laid. I have destroyed stars. I watched when Adam eat of the tree of knowledge. And you think you can bind me! Ha!"

Even as she spoke the words, she knew they had no power over this dark man. "No! Please!"

The dark man grinned, showing his fangs. "Oh yes. You've made your deal and now I want my pound of flesh."

She twisted and pulled, attempting to free herself from the cosmic force that held her. "You see. You are now mine, body and soul. Hear this MacDuff! I take your mother with me! I will have all of eternity to know her flesh and soul! She is mine! Mine! And there is nothing you can do about it!"

The warrior fought the magical force that held him to the earth. The harder he exerted his energies, the stronger the fingers became. "No!"

Mephistopheles looked at MacDuff, scratching his chin. He was a thoughtful creature who enjoyed considering all of the possibilities. "Oh yes. Her suffering will be legendary, even in Hell."

Frantic, MacDuff fought, trying to buy a little more time. "A deal? Can I make a deal? What do you want?"

The words sparked interest. Mephistopheles looked into MacDuff, searching for possibilities. The mortal knew the ultimate question. Perhaps, he could grow into something useful. "I have big plans for you, Finneas MacDuff. I shall return and make you an offer. I shall return your mother to you once your service has been rendered."

A stream of tears shined on his cheek as MacDuff heard Mephistopheles drag his mother screaming into the shadow rainbow.

Caliban coughed as the vision ended. The experience had dried their mouths as though they had just witnessed an execution. "I believe you," Elijah informed Jack.

Jack nodded. "Yea, I figured ya would."

Caliban considered the possibilities. "And we can do this at any time, yes?"

"Yep. The only catch is that the tapestry tends to wear people down so I'd catch a night's sleep before trying again."

Cassie considered the situation. Her parents would discover her missing soon. She'd have to warn them if she could. But, they would never believe her. She decided that perhaps in a day or so she'd send them a note. Until then, Cassie didn't have a place to sleep. "Where? Here?"

"Yep. I prepared rooms for all of ya. I even picked up your stuff."

"Yeah! I can actually put some clothes on instead of just wearing an illusion," Cassie cheered sarcastically.

Elijah smiled. "I can not see the difference."

"You try putting your bare butt on that couch!"

"No thank you. I prefer my clothing."

Caliban pondered the situation. Events were falling into place too quickly for him to accept everything blindly. "I think we are forgetting things, yes?"

"What do you mean?" Ruthie asked.

"Was Delilah telling the truth?"

"For the first time in her entire existence, she told the truth. You see, the truth hurts more than lies ever can. She wanted to hurt you. That was her mistake."

Ruthie swallowed. Her throat felt like the desert. "Then the world is at risk from them?"

"Oh yeah, you'd better believe it."

Anxious, Elijah gestured to the tapestry. "Then we should not stop."

Cassie sighed, tired. "Look in the last forty-eight hours, I've found out I'm a fairy, fought Morrison, lost Sylvia, snuck into the Viper Room, fought Morrison again, almost got eaten by a giant spider woman, helped kill a thousand year old vampire, found out Sylvia was a vamp, found Xanadu, met Jim Morrison, and had to live through the worst day of my life three times. I need a break!

Ruthie laid her hand on Elijah's chest. It cooled him. "All of us are tired. Even Jesus rested so that he might gain strength."

Jack rubbed his hands, excited. "Oh. . .and by the way I bought food for ya. I put it in the kitchen. There's something for everyone, even you Marguerite."

The vampire smirked. "What'd ya do? Rob a blood bank?"

Jack scratched his bearded chin. "Nope. I bought a slushy at a Zip-in-Go. It should be just like you like it."

The vampire allowed a chuckle to escape her mouth. "Geez, I guess you don't miss much."

Ignoring Marguerite, Cassie started towards the kitchen. "Yeah, thrill me, I'm starved."

"Will we be safe here?" Ruthie asked, still concerned..

"The Bar is yours by right of trial. Even the gates of Hell can't stand against it. You're safe for now."

"For now? I thought we're the good guys and we're supposed to win," the vampire asked, dreading the answer.

"Nope. You're only supposed to make a stand against the darkness. I never said you'd would win."


	8. Chapter 8

The Highway West Andrew 258

Chapter Eight: Reflections

_"Because we are not given to know when we will die, we tend to think of life as an inexhaustible well and everything happens only a certain number of times. A very small number really. How many times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood? An afternoon so deeply ingrained in your psyche that you can't imagine your life without it?"_

_-Brandon Lee in an interview three days before his tragic death_

**_He took the final steps with his companion. To his surprise, it was not with Cassie, Marguerite, Caliban, or Ruthie that he faced his final moment. It was the one creature who was his total polar opposite, the yang to his yin, Bucky. As he looked down the Pit, his stomach soured. In the end, he knew that the ultimate sacrifice would be his. He knew that for the others to live, he had to die. _**

Elijah nearly jumped out of his bed before he realized that he had only been dreaming. The thought struck him like a blow to the head. The last time he remembered dreaming was when he was a child. Chiyanbara training taught him how to master his mind and forge his will into a wall of iron. Unfortunately, the process also tamed his imagination. Elijah walled his sleep from dreaming. To his knowledge, he had never had a nightmare.

After rubbing his eyes, Elijah glanced around the room. All of his treasured possessions were here. Somehow Jack had managed to transport his soft bed, dresser, clothes, and books from Tagami Towers to the Bar. In the far corner of the room, Tagami's ancient oak desk waited for him. On the desk were Tagami's pictures and paintings, just like he had left them before Lucian killed him. Elijah walked over to the desk and checked the drawers. The scrolls, Tagami's legacy, were safe.

The mysterious Egyptian woman seemed more familiar to Elijah. Somehow she was tied to his past. The more Elijah pondered his past, the more questions he had. Why would Tagami send Elijah into the future? And how did he travel in time? Why did Tagami kidnap Elijah? Why did Tagami leave with MacDuff? Who was this dark woman? Elijah had tried to skim the scrolls but could not understand the language. It had to be an ancient root language for Mandarin Chinese. The characters were totally different than anything he had ever seen before, yet the pages looked as though they were no more than sixty years old. Attempting to translate the scrolls would take months that Elijah did not have. Elijah Kincaid only knew one way to solve the mystery earlier; the tapestry.

To his surprise, Caliban had not moved an inch since Elijah had retired to his room for the evening. Caliban sat quietly in Delilah's chair watching the tapestry. The tapestry flickered as though it were a small bonfire; the patterns and colors constantly mutated. Caliban seemed intent on discovering the timing of the pattern. Awed, Elijah joined him. "Have you found a method to the madness?"

Caliban looked over at Elijah, who was wearing black robes with a red dragon design on the back. "Yes. The patterns ahead of us change constantly, waffling between the colors and the darkness. I find that comforting, yes?"

Elijah smiled. "So the future is uncertain. I think I like that."

"Perhaps then you will not die as Cassie predicted, yes?"

Elijah nodded grimly. Caliban smiled wickedly. "If I can, I will lend you a hand, yes?"

Elijah groaned. "I have always suspected that there is a special level of Hell designed for those who abuse the English language."

Caliban chuckled. It sounded like gravel scrapping against a chalkboard. "In my defense, I am used to having my nights to myself. Speaking of which, have you slept well tonight? I expected all of you to be asleep by now, yes?"

Elijah sighed. "I. . .have had nightmares."

"After what we have been through, I almost expected it."

"Have you had nightmares?" Elijah asked.

"No. My kind does not dream as you do. Memories become movies inside of our heads. Sometimes. . .when we're lucky we can catch a glimpse of a future memory."

Elijah eyed Caliban with interest. "Are you saying that you can see into the future?"

"I believe that all of us can. Have you ever experienced Deja Vu? Yes. Of course you have. Have you ever known what was going to happen, even though you could not prevent it? I, and I believe others of my kind, experience this feeling more so than others. The full power of the mind has yet to discovered, yes?."

Elijah slumped into the leather chair disappointed. "I was hoping you could give me insight into what is happening."

"The dreams don't work like that. Its more of a sudden flash just before the event. I doubt it would help us much. However, if we brainstormed we might be able to piece together the clues we have been given, yes?"

Eager, Elijah pulled the chair closer to his friend. "Excellent. Then let us begin with the tests. I must admit that I am rather puzzled."

Caliban scratched his monstrous chin. "Yes. The tests have bothered me as well. Before now, I would have thought time travel would not have worked in that way."

"Why is that?"

Caliban shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure. Perhaps it is all of the science fiction that I have read. In the stories, a living being can not exist in the same second twice."

"Yet, each of us did this and we were okay," Elijah interjected.

"Yes. This could mean that either we never went back into time or that time does not work as we thought."

Elijah pondered his words. "True, but I believe that we did go back into time. I have paintings of Tagami that date back to the nineteenth century which would suggest that he also traveled in time."

"Or that he was a vampire."

"He was not a vampire," Elijah stated coldly.

"I remember that Delilah said something to the effect that you failed your test but Tagami saved you, yes?" Caliban asked.

Intrigued, Elijah tried to remember her exact words. "I believe so. She said something about a double paradox."

"Is it possible that Tagami was changing time at the same time as we were?"

"What do you mean?"

Caliban stood and began pacing in a circle as though he were a professor. "What if Tagami purposely acted to keep your history intact?"

"How could he have done that?" Elijah asked.

"Did you not say earlier, before you went to sleep, that MacDuff figured out who you were by mentioning Xanadu?"

Elijah smiled. "Yes, he did! How would he know about Xanadu unless he had been here or knew of the Five?"

Caliban stopped and pointed at the Chiyanbara. "Correct. Knowing who you were, MacDuff killed his own men. Tagami stopped you from killing him, yes? It was almost as though he knew you were going to attack MacDuff."

"He must have known about the Five also," Elijah added.

"Then, Tagami stopped you from changing your past and ironically created the situation that lead to you joining us," Caliban concluded.

"Irony had nothing to do with it. Tagami knew."

"I believe he did. If he stopped you from changing your past, then all of us must have travel through time," Caliban guessed.

"This line of reasoning is shaky."

"It is shakier than the skirt of a belly dancer, yes?"

Elijah laughed. "You have a keen mind."

"It is all that I will have left."

"I do not understand."

"The longer I remain in this form the more detached I become. Eventually I will lose all that I am and be left with nothing but a keen mind," said the Fallen.

"What about Cassie? You love her, do you not?"

"I do not know. Once I would have scorned her. She is not the type of girl I would have been interested in. I would have called her a pig and laughed at her. Now. . .she is all that stirs passion in me," Caliban told him.

"Then surely you can love her. Both of you will live almost forever," Elijah protested.

"Yes and as time passes the passion will slowly dissolve until I feel nothing. It is better this way."

"But you are giving up!"

"No. I'm giving Cassie a better life. She'll be able to find someone to love her. I know. I've seen him."

"Is there no way we can. . .end your curse?"

"I know of only one way. . .death," Caliban stated.

"That is not what I have in mind."

"And what do you have in mind for Marguerite?" Caliban asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Marguerite? What do you mean?" Elijah asked.

"It is now my nature to watch others. I can no longer stop myself. I noticed the look on your face when you were protecting her from the rest of us when we were trying to force her back through the portal. I saw how she watched over you when you were knocked out. You have a chance with Marguerite that I will never have with Cassie. Together you can be happy, even if it is for a short while."

"What is my life compared to a life that could live until the end of time?"

"You could always ask her to Assimilate you. That could stop your death," Caliban suggested.

"No. I may only be a mortal, but I am my own man."

Caliban continued to pace around Elijah. "Then for a short while, you could have happiness. Why not take it?"

"Would we be happy? I doubt it. We are alike and we can sense that. Cassie's vision has sparked a little curiosity. It is nothing more."

"Perhaps you should talk to her," Caliban suggested.

"Now is not the time."

Caliban studied Elijah. He would never risk pain for himself, but for others he would jump into the abyss. "Now is the perfect time. In a few hours or days we may be fighting this Shadow Lord and if there is a question of relationships it might hurt all of us."

The Chiyanbara considered his words carefully. "You are right. I will speak to her as soon as she wakes up."

Caliban nodded, slightly. "If I am correct, she is already awake. You might want to check."

"I will do that. Thank you," Elijah said.

Caliban smiled. Although Elijah had gotten used to his putrid face, Caliban's smile could sour milk. "You are quite welcome," Caliban replied.

As Elijah walked down the hall to towards the bedrooms, Caliban turned towards the tapestry. It had changed again since he had last looked. This time, two of the five threads merged, shifting to pink.

Like a child checking on a sleeping parent, Marguerite slowly opened the door to Ruthie's room. The vampire crept around the corner to see Ruthie sleeping on a large wooden bed with an immense lace canopy. Unlike her used furniture at Sister Mary's, Ruthie's beautiful dresser, desk, and bed were carved with the same intricate design. Marguerite wondered if she had stepped into a fairy tale. Marguerite decided that if this was a fairy tale, Ruthie would have to be the beautiful princess which would leave her in the role of evil step-sister.

The walls were covered with posters from Christian rock bands that Marguerite did not recognize. The stark contrast between the posters and the fancy furniture seemed odd to Marguerite.

On the desk was a small porcelain figurine of Jesus carrying the cross. Curious, she walked over to it and examined it. Unlike other images of Jesus that Marguerite had seen before, this Jesus was a strong man with large muscles. The porcelain Jesus carried His cross like a lumberjack. The face of the figurine looked familiar. It was almost as though she had seen this face before. The face was gentle, strong, powerful, and loving all at once. It had the splendor of an untamed mountain.

Ruthie turned rolled over in her sleep which alarmed Marguerite, who almost dropped the figurine. Returning the figuring to the dresser, Marguerite examined Ruthie.

She wore a long white nightgown that looked as though it had been teleported from the Middle Ages. Even as she watched Ruthie, her mystical blood rumbled with hunger. She could smell Ruthie's blood calling to her. It had been a long time since she last fed. Memories of Ruthie's sweet tasting blood caused her mouth to water. _If she took a small amount of blood, Ruthie would never know. _

Her eyes turned scarlet. She loved Ruthie more than she would admit, but her hunger loomed over her. It was liking being trapped inside someone else body and watching through their eyes. She felt her lower jaw extend and reveal her fangs. Ruthie's sweet sweat dripped off her body. Her ears detected every slow beat of her heart. Ruthie would sleep through the Assimilation and never know.

**Step! Step! Step! **Someone was walking down the hallway!

Ruthie opened her eyes to see a normal looking Marguerite standing over her. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes, stretched, and smiled at Marguerite. "Is something wrong, Honey?"

Marguerite looked towards the figurine and away from Ruthie. "No. I was just checking on you. We've had a couple of weird days and I wanted to make sure you're okay."

Ruthie smiled. "It feels good to sleep in a comfortable bed."

"Good," Marguerite muttered.

Ruthie propped a few of her fluffy pillows under her neck and smiled. "Sit down and we can talk," Ruthie offered.

"I should go."

"Is there something you're not telling me, honey?" Ruthie asked.

"No."

"Its Sylvia, isn't?" Ruthie questioned her.

The vampire took a deep breath. "We did our best, didn't we?"

"I still can't believe she willingly became a vampire. No offense," Ruthie said, trying not to be rude.

"None taken. A lot of people are fascinated with vampires. And I have to admit when I was a mortal the fantasy was nice. Think about it. You live forever. You never have to grow old. You gain power. . . a lot of power. But. . .you lose a lot."

"I see what you mean. I would almost be tempted myself," Ruthie admitted.

Marguerite laughed. "I can't believe that."

**Knock. Knock.**

Ruthie and Marguerite looked at each other, surprised. "Come in," Ruthie replied.

Elijah Kincaid opened the door. "Excuse me. I am not intruding on you, am I?" he asked.

"No," Marguerite replied quickly before Ruthie could respond.

"May I speak to you alone, Marguerite?" Elijah asked.

Marguerite looked over at Ruthie who seemed as puzzled as she was. "Uh. . .sure," she replied.

Cassie Byron thought about her new life as she wrote in her diary. She thought of all of the people she had met: Caliban, Ariel, Elijah, Marguerite, Ruthie, Bucky, Morrison, Jim Morrison, Delilah, MacDuff, the other old vampire that was wearing the cowboy suit, the black vampire with the dreadlocks, Sylvia, Jack, and the psycho spider woman. There seemed to be a pattern just outside of her perception. She thought that by writing her thoughts down she might contain and tame them. Frustrated, Cassie set down her diary and looked around the room.

Jack had brought most of her bedroom, including her neo-gothic industrial posters, to the Bar. Cassie wandered how many days it would take before her parents noticed that her stuff was gone. The next time she visited earth, Cassie vowed to call them.

She tried to find an interesting book on her bookshelf, but none of them appealed to her. Fantasy books seemed docile. Slipping into a silk robe, Cassie decided to scout around the bar. Maundering down the hall, she slipped bumping into a shelf. The force of the impact knocked a heavy hard cover book onto her head. Irritated, she picked up the book glancing at the cover: _The Eternal War by Jamilla Ashante._

Curious, she flipped the book to examine its back. A large black and white photograph of an old black woman with thick glasses greeted her. Stunned, she thought she would drop the book. This was the woman from her vision.

"Well, what do you want?" Marguerite asked.

Elijah glanced around the smoky game room. He pulled darts from the wall and practiced hitting the target. His mind raced trying to find the right words. "I just wanted to express my. . .thanks for protecting me during my test."

Marguerite smiled. It was a soft grin, not the usual smirk. "No problem, you stopped them from making me go back. I won't forget that."

"I am sorry about your parents," Elijah added.

"Don't be. You didn't kill them," Marguerite replied, losing her grin.

Undaunted, Elijah continued. "I was not apologizing, but expressing empathy. I lost my parents, as well. All that I had was Tagami. Now he is gone as well. I know how you feel."

The smile returned. "Yeah, sorry for jumping on you like that. I'm a little sensitive."

"We are all sensitive right now."

The vampire sighed. It was her turn. She threw three darts and missed the dart board each time. "I'm better at pool," she said indicating green game table.

Concerned, Elijah gazed into her eyes. "Are you feeling well? You look as though you are sick."

"Gee, thanks."

"I mean it. You look unwell."

Marguerite wiped sweat from her brow. She could smell the blood pulse through Elijah's veins like a freight train. His blood would be healthy and taste like pure power. Kincaid's handsome face looked confused. Her instincts demanded her to take him. She could taste his flesh in her mind. As the blood exchanged, Marguerite would take him inside of her and drain him dry.

"Marguerite, I can help you," Elijah whispered to her.

Marguerite's scarlet eyes flashed, startling him. "_No you can't!_" she growled.

Elijah's first instinct was to draw Ascalon, but he had left it in his room.

It took all of his will not to flinch from her or attack. Calmly, he looked Marguerite in her scarlet eyes. "What is wrong with you?"

"You'd better leave! It has been a while since I have fed. I'm already starting to hallucinate!" she warned.

Nervous, he swallowed the spit in his mouth. "How much blood do you need?"

"It's hard to control. Can't contain it."

"How much do you need?"

"Don't know. Should only need a little to get me through the night."

"Will I be able to fight when the time comes?"

"I don't know. You should be okay after a few hours. Until then, you'll feel slow and sluggish."

"Do it."

Marguerite extended her hand to Elijah, who accepted it. As she moved closer to Elijah, she felt her mystical blood rage with excitement. Elijah closed his eyes and leaned his neck back waiting for the Assimilation. As she bit into his neck, Marguerite was surprised by the sheer power of his will and personality. Ruthie abandoned herself within the Assimilation, Elijah gently allowed Marguerite inside of his protective walls that were as strong as a cathedral. While she felt the weight of his will, he felt her depth of passion. He could sense the well of love that Marguerite had left almost untapped.

Both of them found it difficult to stop. It was almost as though both wanted to be drained dry. Through a sheer force of will, Elijah and Marguerite parted. Elijah had looked into Marguerite's eyes and found that she had lost her hard look. It was almost as though they had tapped the well. Marguerite looked towards the wound in Elijah's neck.

Elijah smiled, pulling the vampire closer. This time he kissed her neck. She breathed deeply, shivering. Slipping out of her leather jacket, Marguerite wrapped her arms around his waist holding him tightly. Elijah's blacks robes parted revealing flesh and white undergarments.

He stared into her glowing eyes, aroused with love. "Not here."

The vampire did not reply. She smiled slyly, holding Elijah by the hand, leading him to her room.

Cassie dropped the book on her bed. Jamilla Ashante was a professor of history and had researched myths from across the globe. The archetype that interested her the most was the end of the world myth. This mortal knew about the Eternal War and had appeared in her vision. She had to tell the others.

Caliban, she found, was watching the tapestry. Ruthie, she found, sleeping in her room. She mentioned that Elijah and Marguerite were talking in the game room. Curious, Cassie investigated and discovered a worn leather jacket left on the floor. Worried, she darted to Elijah's room and burst in. The room was empty and he had left his sword next to the bed. Frantic, she raced to Marguerite's room and broke through the door.

A shape that vaguely reminded Cassie of a horse wormed under the sleeping bag on the mattress in the corner. "Oh my God!"

Marguerite and Elijah poked their sweating heads out from under the sleeping bad. "Cassie, what the Hell are you doing?" the vampire barked.

Elijah blushed and hid under the covers as though he were a turtle.

"Sorry," Cassie muttered as she began to close the door.

"Cassie, wait!" Elijah called to her.

Cassie turned and opened the door slightly. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but I found a clue about my vision. Two of them as a matter of fact. I thought the five of us should get together and then I found Marguerite's jacket on the floor."

"And you thought someone attacked us so broke in here."

Marguerite smiled. "We'll she's party right."

Elijah and Cassie blushed. "Anyway, we're all meeting in the Tapestry Room. So, when your done, I guess ya can meet us there."

"So what's the big deal?" Marguerite asked Cassie.

"This," Cassie told them as she showed them the book.

"So it's a book? What's the big deal?" Marguerite questioned her harshly.

"The Eternal War is a strange topic for a mortal writer, yes?" Caliban muttered, deep in thought.

Jack lit his stogie. The stench of the cheap cigar flooded the room. "That's cause she's not a mortal."

"What?" Cassie asked, confused.

"She's a Sentinel. One of the oldest living humans on earth."

"I thought you said there were no more Sentinels," Elijah asked Jack.

Jack chuckled. "You weren't paying attention. I said there weren't any new Sentinels. A few of the older ones are still out there. Jamilla isn't much of a fighter. She's a teacher."

"So we should find the remaining Sentinels and kick ass," the vampire suggested.

"The problem is you can't find them. Eternals can't be tracked, except by their Guides," Jack replied.

Caliban narrowed his eyes at Jack. "And you are a guide, yes?"

Jack took another long drag from his stogie while he considered his words. "And I can only act on orders given from my boss. So until then, you're on your own."

"We have to find her. She was in my vision," Cassie insisted.

"You mean the one where I am dead," Elijah added.

Marguerite looked into Elijah's eyes and knew that he was afraid. She looked down to her flat stomach and tried to imagine it carrying a new life. "I guess we weren't exactly trying to change the future."

"Is the Shadow Lord mentioned in the book?" Elijah asked, trying to change the subject.

"All that is mentioned about the Shadow Lord is that he is the heir to Morgana le Faye," Cassie answered.

"Isn't she the one that screwed the fairies over?" Marguerite asked.

Although Cassie had never met Morgana, the image of her betrayal set her emotions on edge. A long buried racial memory still burned with hatred. "Yeah. She's the one."

Elijah took a long, deep breath. If he was going to die, he would rather fight than wait for his death. He had his brief moment with Marguerite. That would have to do. "We can wait no longer."

"Yeah, I'm not going to be able to rest until we start getting some answers," Cassie agreed.

The vampire took a quick look at Elijah. The next battle could be his last. She could try to protect him. No. That would be like trying to stop a force of nature, she decided. "Then let's get off our asses."

Caliban stood and began pacing. "The problem is that we know nothing about the Shadow Lord and do not even have an idea of where to start looking for him, yes?"

"We also know zip about the First Seal of Creation and what we're supposed to do with it," Marguerite added, frustrated.

The fairy watched Jack Covell smoke his stogie with a smile. "I don't suppose you could tell us what we need know?"

"I can't answer that one, sweetness. You know the rules."

Caliban stopped his pacing a foot short of the crackling magical tapestry. "We can use the tapestry. If it can show us MacDuff, then it should be able to show us this Shadow Lord, yes?"

Ruthie smiled, putting her hand on the Fallen's shoulder. The touch chilled him. "Good idea, Caliban."

"It would only show us the turning point in the Shadow Lord's history," the Fallen added.

"My Sensei taught me to know your enemy as you know yourself and victory will be yours," Elijah told them as he stepped closer to the tapestry.

Elijah stared into the enchanted threads that would lead him to the Shadow Lord. It was like trying to find a peculiar piece of sand on a beach. Every time he thought he found the thread, three more threads would distract him. It was almost as though the thread was hiding from him.

"I can not find it," Elijah muttered, frustrated.

Jack blew a smoke ring across Elijah's face. "A few of the Old Ones can cloak themselves like the Eternals. The tapestry can always find a single thread, but the user sometimes finds that the thread moves to hide itself."

Elijah gritted his teeth. "Then how are we to find out about the Shadow Lord?"

Jack smiled and wave his arms in an open gesture. "I'm not allowed to answer that question. I wish I could help."

"If we have Jamilla's guide to the end of the world then we have to have something on the First Seal of Creation, right?" Marguerite asked.

Jack chuckled as though a favorite student had just solved a difficult problem. "We have several volumes on magical and mystical items. I'd be happy to show them to you."

"You're the scholar, Dudley. You and Caliban should go with them," the vampire told the vampire hunter.

The thought of research brought a small measure of cheer to Caliban. "Good idea. We'll find the volume and return with it, yes?"

As Jack led Elijah and Caliban down the hallway, they discussed research techniques. Hearing them debate the correct method to establish an exact date made Marguerite glad she decided to remain in the tapestry room. Tired, Marguerite slouched on the couch next to Ruthie.

"So?" Cassie asked Marguerite.

"So what?" Marguerite replied innocently.

"What were you doing licking Elijah's neck under the sleeping bag?" Cassie asked.

"What?" Ruthie asked, feeling jealous and shocked.

"I wasn't licking his neck!" Marguerite told Cassie.

"Then what were you doing?" Ruthie asked.

"I have to fed each night. Elijah volunteered. We got a little carried away. End of story," Marguerite explained.

"He let you feed from him?" Ruthie asked.

"Yeah. He knew I was going crazy from not eating," Marguerite told her.

"It looked like he was doing more than donating blood," Cassie replied with a smile.

"He was keeping me alive. That's it!" Marguerite barked.

"If you say so," Cassie said reluctantly. She paused a few seconds and started to hum the music to the childhood classic _Elijah and Marguerite sitting in a tree, K I S S I N G._

Ruthie opened her mouth as though she were about to speak, but Marguerite's shriek sent Cassie to her room to change. She returned with a thin black lace dress that looked as though it had been cannibalized from parts of a wedding dress and a funeral dress.

"Are all of your dresses like that, honey?" Ruthie asked.

"You're trying to lecture me on style! Ha!" Cassie mocked her.

Ruthie put on her best, soothing smile. "I was simply suggesting that you might want to wear something else for what we have a head of us."

Cassie shook her head. "Whenever I switch forms, I'm going to lose my dress anyway. So what does it matter?"

"People might get the wrong idea about you," Ruthie informed her.

"Oh and wearing jeans and an Amy Grant sweater is going to scare the Shadow Lord into giving up," Cassie mocked her.

"That's not what I meant," Ruthie told her.

"No. What you meant was that I'm dressed like a slut, isn't it?" Cassie asked.

"No," Ruthie stuttered.

"Then what? Am I too fat to wear this? What? I want to know," Cassie insisted.

"We are representing God and as such we should not dress as though we're going to a funeral," Ruthie informed her.

"Look! I know you're used to a nice country church where everyone's dressed like they just walked out of a Macy's catalogue but I have news for you, you're all full of shit! That's right, you heard me! You get so wrapped up in wearing the right thing, saying the right thing, making sure you don't break any of God's laws that you lose everything! That is not for me!" Cassie barked.

"Besides, I represent myself. If God wants to be represented, let him get of His ass and come down here himself," Marguerite added.

The heavy footsteps of Caliban cut off Ruthie's reply. There is a fine line between expressing ideas and beating your audience over the head with them. Ruthie had decided long ago, she would never cross it.

"You guys find anything?" Marguerite bellowed.

Ruthie rolled her eyes. On the other hand, she was going to teach them manner even if she had to drag them by their ears on Judgment Day.

Caliban dropped a large leather bound book that looked as though it weighted fifty pounds onto the table. A small dust mushroom cloud erupted from the ancient text. "I believe we have, yes?"

"Just try one cigar. I promise you'll love it," Jack told Elijah as they entered the room.

"What the Hell is that?" Marguerite asked, pointing at the book.

"It is an tome written in ancient Greek. We think that it had once belonged to Aristotle at his school in Alexandria," Elijah explained.

Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "It looks like a book to me."

Elijah sighed. "Not a tomb as in gravestone, but a tome. Think of it as a book made before printing presses were invented."

"So what's the tomb about?" Ruthie inquired.

Elijah smiled. "It is a collection of observations on magical artifacts."

"One of which is the First Seal of Creation," Caliban added.

"What's it say?" Marguerite asked.

Elijah carefully flipped open the book. The pages had been magically treated to prevent yellowing from age. The manuscript flowed like a work of art. "The Greeks referred to the First Seal of Creation as the Avatar of Dionysus. According to this tome, the Seal is not evil exactly."

"Wait a minute? You know how to read Greek?" Cassie asked.

Elijah gritted his teeth. "As a child, Tagami taught me several languages, including Greek."

The vampire winked at the fairy. "Didn't you do anything fun as a kid, Dudley?" Marguerite asked.

"That was my fun," Elijah protested. Marguerite sighed.

"If the Seal is not evil, then what is it?" Ruthie asked, trying to bring everyone back onto the subject at hand.

"The Seal is a personification of chaos. Whomever carries the Seal is granted their greatest desires and passions. When the Seal has corrupted the wearer to its satisfaction it moves on to its next victim."

Ruthie clutched her bible closer. "Sounds evil to me."

Elijah paused to consider his words. "Evil is not the right word. For an example if you wore the Seal it would try to convince you to start a holy war against Satan. The Seal thrives on chaos and conflict. It's power comes from the triangle. Somehow, because the triangle is an oddity of nature, it can work its magic within a specific area."

"Then how come we haven't heard of this Seal before?" Cassie asked.

"Oh we have. It hasn't always been called the First Seal of Creation, but it has existed. Merlin, and later Morgana le Faye, wore the Seal around their neck. The Norsemen that eventually invaded Rome had many stories concerning a medallion of chaos which became known as the Gift of Loki. What about the Devil's Triangle? Supposedly, Atlantis had been in the middle of that ocean triangle. What happened to it? The Aztecs have many symbols of triangles in their pantheons. If you look at every major drastic change in world history, you can find triangles somewhere. I am not saying that this seal is the cause of it all, but there is a case for its existence," Elijah told them.

Ruthie twirled a lock of blond hair as she thought about Elijah's words. "If the wearer gets corrupted, we can't touch it."

"There are two exceptions to the rule," Caliban replied.

"What are those?" Cassie asked.

Caliban scratched his chin. "A mortal with iron will can with stand the corruption or one who had the touch of Dionysus: madness."

The vampire smiled. "Then Elijah can hold it."

Cassie looked at Marguerite as though she were insane. "Why?"

She took a step close to Elijah and spun so that the entire group could see her face. "He has a will like you can't believe. I thought it was luck when he broke Gideon's control back in the Viper Room. If it had been any of us we would have been out of the fight licking his boots, but Elijah broke the link. When Elijah volunteered to feed me earlier I felt his will. If he picks of this seal, he'll kick ass and take names."

Elijah smiled as if to say thank you to the vampire. "OK, then how do we destroy it?" Cassie asked.

Elijah shrugged his shoulders. "That we do not know. The Greeks tried everything they could think of, including dragonfire, but failed. We will have to figure that out once we capture it."

"All we have to do now is find the asshole," Marguerite stated.

Caliban paced around the tapestry. "That will be easier said then done, yes? If MacDuff could not cloak himself and the Shadow Lord can, it's going to be difficult when we do catch him."

Jack blew a smoke ring towards Caliban. "I hate to say it, but MacDuff can cloak himself. He just chose not to."

A series of words clicked inside Ruthie's head sparking a powerful epiphany.

"I have an idea, but Elijah won't like it."

"What is it?" Cassie asked sarcastically.

Ruthie continue, oblivious to the bitterness. "Why don't we ask MacDuff. I bet he knows."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Like he's going to tell us."

"Why wouldn't he tell us?" Caliban asked.

Concerned that his friends might be considering this action, Elijah wrinkled his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Did you not say that MacDuff had an interest in our success? If this is true, then he will want us to succeed, yes?"

"He is evil."

Caliban continued to pace around the tapestry as though he were dancing around a bonfire. "True, but I am certain he does not want demons invading what he considers to be his city. Besides, this might have something to do with his mother, yes?"

"He had Tagami killed. For that he will die."

"Does it have to be today? I mean, Tagami wanted you to join the Five. So he must have thought what we're going is important," Cassie added.

"He and Bucky will die."

Caliban stopped and pointed a gnarled finger at Elijah. "Maybe you don't understand. Tagami was fated to die so that you could join us. It is a harsh fact but you must except it. Bucky knew this. From what I have gathered from him, Bucky went to Tagami Towers to push you into going to the Viper Room. He wanted you to join us. Both you and Bucky have claimed that Lucian killed Tagami. Do you really believe that Bucky would work for MacDuff?"

Elijah had to admit that Caliban had a point. "No. Bucky could not work for anyone. But MacDuff did order Tagami's death."

"And for now, we need MacDuff. He is the only one I can think of that would know the location of the Shadow Lord," Caliban insisted.

"How about this? We talk to MacDuff, find out what we need to know, and then kick the Shadow Lord's butt. After we figure out what to do with the Seal, we take MacDuff down," Marguerite suggested.

"What about Bucky?" Elijah asked.

"You can deal with him on your own. I think he's nuts, but I'm not about to go hunting him down. Besides, I think in his own sick way he's trying to help," Marguerite replied with her hands on her hips.

"Bucky is not the issue. Do we go and ask MacDuff?" Caliban asked.

Ruthie frowned. "Frankly, I don't see another way."

"I hate to say it, but she's right," Marguerite agreed.

"Yeah, thrill me, let's go."

"Elijah?" Caliban asked.

"It seems as though I do not have a choice."

"Is ten minutes enough time to get ready then?" Caliban asked.

"I still have to get dressed," Elijah replied.

"You going to put on another cape?" Cassie asked, giggling.

Elijah shook his head, getting frustrated from the constant teasing. "I lost my cape when I gave it to you."

"So what are you going to wear, honey?" Ruthie asked.

"Although I lost the cloak, my uniform is still in excellent shape."

Cassie bit her lip, but could not help but reply. "I bet it smells, though."

"I took the liberty of washing all of your clothes. I figured you'd be on the road again real soon," Jack replied.

The fairy smirked. "Do you do windows too?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. The pay sucks, but the benefits are out of this world."

"That uniform is going to stand out like Michael Jackson at a Boy Scout convention," Marguerite observed.

Elijah frowned. "It is all that I have."

"Caliban, do you have extra clothes?" Cassie asked, considering the possibilities.

"I have a few changes of clothing that I have not yet worn, but I am not Elijah's size."

Elijah was secretly glad he did not have to wear the Fallen's clothing, but felt it would be rude to refuse the offer. "That's not what I was thinking of. Don't you have an extra trenchcoat?" Cassie asked.

"Yes, I do. As you might guess without a trenchcoat it is difficult to hide even in L.A. I try to keep an extra trenchcoat in case I lose the one I'm wearing." Ruthie glanced over at the Fallen. Although she had gotten used to his smell, his appearance still twisted her stomach. His dirty black trenchcoat looked as though Caliban had worn it straight for months. Although she was tempted to say something to Caliban, Ruthie's strong upbringing prompted her not embarrass Caliban.

"I think a trenchcoat might be just the right thing for Elijah," Cassie announced.

Within a few minutes, the Five was ready. Caliban, as always, wore his dirty black trenchcoat and black hat. Cassie wore her gothic black party dress and sandals. Ruthie wore an Amy Grant sweater, tight jeans, and running shoes. She carried a backpack with all of her essentials: a bible, several crosses, and a few stakes that Elijah had given to her. Marguerite wore black jeans, a Harley Davidson t-shirt, black combat boots, and her leather jacket. Elijah Kincaid wore a long black trenchcoat, similar to Caliban's, over his Chiyanbara uniform.

"That's all we needed. Another guy in a trenchcoat," Marguerite said sarcastically.

"You do not like it?" Elijah asked.

"Trust me. It's you. . . ._Urban Ninja_," Cassie giggled.

"Okay, let's get the Hell out of Dodge," Marguerite replied.

Cassie opened her Fairy Eyes. In the distance, she could see Jim Morrison smile at her. Her Fairy Eyes followed him down the Highway West. The Five crossed the River Alpheus and leapt into the black void. After a few moments of free falling, they skipped past the moon and slingshot themselves to the Viper Room.

"Welcome back," MacDuff greeted them.

It took a few moments before their eyes adjusted to the new environment. Hearing MacDuff's voice, Elijah quickly drew Ascalon and prepared for a fight. Once their eyes adjusted, the Five could see that they were in a small den. MacDuff, still wearing his Scottish kilt, sat in a large comfortable chair. A large fire raged in the fireplace behind MacDuff despite the fact that it was summer. Over the mantle, a large Claymore was displayed. Several ancient books lined the walls.

"Please make yourself feel at home. I would have brought chairs only I didn't expect you back so soon," MacDuff told them.

Cassie stuck her tongue out at the ancient vampire. "Duh, we've been gone days."

MacDuff smiled, despite his irritation. "To you, you have been gone several days, but to me it has only been twenty minutes. Xanadu has that effect on people," MacDuff replied casually.

"Why are you doing this?" Marguerite asked.

"Doing what?" MacDuff responded innocently.

"Helping us," Cassie told him.

Ruthie, who stood behind the others, slowly pulled out her bible and cross. The Scottish vampire shook his head. "Please Mrs. Jones, if I am to help you I must insist that you not try to attack me in my own home."

"Put it away Ruthie. Now is not the time, yes?" Caliban whispered to her.

"Speak, MacDuff, or I will have your head," Elijah barked.

MacDuff glanced at Elijah disdainfully. "Oh please. Let's not have violence when we both have something the other wants and can barter."

"You knew we were going to come back didn't you?" Marguerite asked.

"Of course. I also know where the Shadow Lord is and where he is hiding the Seal," MacDuff informed them.

"What do you want?" Caliban asked.

"I am glad that one of you has half a brain. Mr. Ernest, all that I desire is my mother."

"What?" Ruthie asked, shocked.

MacDuff smirked seeing the shocked looks of their faces. "I allowed you all to see my thread. I could have hid it like the Shadow Lord, but I wanted you to see what my situation is and to believe me."

"How are we gonna get your mother back for you? Isn't she dead or something?" Cassie asked.

"That, I have to admit I am not certain, Ms. Byron. I do know this, you are destined to stop the Shadow Lord and dispose the First Seal of Creation and there is only one way that I know of to do the job."

"And what is that?" Caliban asked, curious.

"I'm afraid that is privileged information," MacDuff stated coldly.

"So we save your mother and you tell us where this Shadow Lord is, right?" Cassie asked.

MacDuff turned to the Chiyanbara. "Not exactly, I will tell you where the Shadow Lord is now and you must promise, Elijah, that you will save my mother at the first opportunity."

"Why me?" Elijah asked.

"I have chosen you. That is enough," MacDuff retorted.

"How do you know we'll keep the promise?" Marguerite asked.

"Because I know Kincaid. He'd rather die than break a promise. Isn't that right?" MacDuff asked Elijah.

Elijah sighed. All of this verbal warfare gave him a headache. "You know that it is."

MacDuff placed his hand on Kincaid's shoulder. "Then swear to me and I will tell all that I know."

It took a large faction of his will not to break the vampire's hand. He knew that if he did, his friends would die. "I swear upon my honor that I will save your mother or die trying if you tell us the location of the Shadow Lord and the First Seal of Creation."

MacDuff released Kincaid and relaxed in his chair satisfied that he had won. "To begin with, what exactly do you know?" MacDuff asked.

"We know that the First Seal of Creation has been called the Avatar of Dionysus and that it is a focus of chaos. We know that the Shadow Lord has been attempting to secure a triangle of power within the Los Angeles area so that he can use the Seal to flood the world with demons," Caliban answered.

"I am impressed, you have acquired a great amount of knowledge in a short amount of time. Still you do not quite understand the entire situation. The Avatar of Dionysus was stolen from heaven and lost here as a gift to the world by. . . one whom I prefer not to mention."

Ruthie's face twisted in horror. "Do you mean. . .?" she asked.

"Yes, I do. But I would not mention his name. The mere mention of his name gives him a wicked power," MacDuff interrupted.

"We have to call him something. This is stupid," Marguerite told them.

"Do you know that his name his mentioned more often than the One Ruthie serves?" MacDuff replied.

"So?" Marguerite said.

"So, that is part of the reason that he has more power here. This is his world, for now," MacDuff told her.

"Fine! Then let's call him Bob," Marguerite said sarcastically.

"Very well then. Bob possesses more power in this realm because he cheats. The One whom Ruthie serves follows rules set down in the beginning," MacDuff explained.

"If you believe in God and. . .Bob, then why are you so. . .?" Ruthie asked MacDuff.

"Evil?" MacDuff interrupted, "Oh come now Mrs. Jones. Evil is such a vague word. Besides which, just because I agree with you that there is a conflict does not mean that we both believe that the same side will win."

"How can you believe that S. . .Bob can win?" Ruthie asked him.

"Ha! Mrs. Jones, your innocence is almost touching. Do you truly believe that out of all of the faiths, yours is the only true one. The only faith that has any merit? I have traveled all over the world and seen many such people touched by true faith such as you. In New York, I once met a Rabbi who could turn vampires with but a single prayer. While in the outback of Australia, I met a shaman who could perform miracles similar to the ones you performed earlier. You know nothing of the universe as it is. Everything you believe is part of a pre-digested platform designed by men almost two thousand years ago.

"I will confess that there are two powers waging a war. One of them is good and in an abstract way you could call it God, but it all boils down to this. You believe in the inherent goodness of man and his choice to follow this God. I believe that man can not be saved. That is Bob's greatest advantage," MacDuff said.

"What do you mean choosing to follow God? God chooses us, not the other way around," Ruthie argued.

"Oh please. Look outside what you've been taught all your life. Your God choose all of us to be his children or we would not exist. He might have created the universe, but he gave to it free will. As long as we are free willed creatures, we choose. You choose to follow God, just as He chooses to have you as His child," MacDuff said.

"Remember this when He spanks you like the child that you are," Ruthie warned him.

"Ah, but that assumes He will win. You still do not understand. Your Lord can not do the logically impossible. For an example, he can not create a round square because that would violate the laws which he had created. A good God can not break his own laws. When He gave us free will and allowed Bob to rebel and exist, he created certain laws. Think of it as a game. If God cheats He is no longer God. Because Bob is Bob, he can cheat anyway he can think of. Because of this, Bob had the advantage. Let's use a modern metaphor; baseball. I love the game of baseball."

"Let's suppose that it's the last inning and Bob's team is up by four and God's side is at bat. Because I know that you five are up at the plate, I'm certain that God will be able to tie the game. But in the end, it will all come down to this; what does man want? Does he want to be good? Or is he ready to control his own destiny. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to place my bet on Bob," MacDuff responded.

"Don't bet on it, homecheese!" Marguerite snapped.

"We will see," MacDuff told her.

"Just tell us what we need to know and then we can get the Hell out of Dodge," Marguerite told him.

"Forgive me. I enjoy talking to others who can understand the situation. As I was saying before, the First Seal of Creation was stolen by Bob. However, when he touched the Seal, it burned his soul and caused him more pain than he had ever felt. So, he cast it down to earth so that it would cause chaos here which would benefit him. You see the Seal has the power the shatter the Great Barrier," MacDuff explained.

"The Great Barrier?"

"It is the barrier which prevents Bob and his followers from conquering us. The only way Bob or one of his followers can come to earth is by poking a hole in the Great Barrier. When mages summon his followers, they are really just poking a hole in the Great Barrier. However, in order for Bob to come through the Great Barrier, it has to be shattered," MacDuff answered.

"What can do it?" Elijah asked, horrified.

"If the First Seal of Creation is opened by a mage, like the Shadow Lord, within a corrupted triangle of power," MacDuff said.

"Once we have the Seal, what can we do to destroy it?" Elijah asked.

"Eventually, the Seal will be opened or have you forgotten?" MacDuff inquired.

"How do we keep it safe, until its supposed to be opened? Don't be a smart ass," Marguerite snapped.

"Remove the Seal from the world of mortals," MacDuff answered.

"Where would we take it?" Cassie asked.

"I do not know how to reach Heaven, but I do how to reach Hell through the Highway West."

"You want us to go to Hell?" Ruthie muttered, horrified.

"Yeah right!" Cassie said sarcastically.

"Not only that, but you must go to the center of the evil and cast the First Seal of Creation into the Pit of Darkness. At the bottom of that pit, Bob is waiting," MacDuff continued.

"Wouldn't that only make him stronger?" Caliban asked.

"It might," MacDuff admitted. "But I do not think so. The Seal has obtained a life of its own. It's entire function is to create chaos and disorder. If two negatives touch each other then they cancel each other out. Also, it is the only known object to cause Bob severe pain and may even defeat him for a short while."

"And it would also heal the Great Barrier," Cassie added.

"For a short while," MacDuff agreed.

"So we could kick Bob's butt. That doesn't sound too bad," Marguerite responded.

"Bob is stronger than you could believe. Although he will be weakened, he will still be alive. It is not for you to defeat him. That will happen at the final battle, if at all," MacDuff informed Marguerite.

"How are we going to get it down the Pit?" Caliban asked.

"Someone has to take it there," MacDuff answered.

"And along the way, we're supposed to save your mother. Is that it?" Cassie questioned him.

"That is the deal," MacDuff stated.

"While I'm at it, I'll just part the Red Sea," Marguerite complained.

"I believe that we are getting ahead of ourselves. We need to know where the location of the Shadow Lord and his abilities," Caliban told them.

"I am quite surprised that you have not already figured it out. To use the Seal, the Shadow Lord will have to be at the exact center of the triangle he had completed," MacDuff revealed.

"You still have not told us about the Shadow Lord," Elijah reminded MacDuff.

"The Shadow Lord is a mage of great power. I believe he is the bastard son of Morgana le Faye and Merlin," MacDuff told them.

"I thought that Arthur killed Morgana's son," Elijah stated.

"You are thinking of Mordred, her first born son. Mordred caused the end of Camelot but could not survive it's death. The Shadow Lord arose afterwards. I have heard that he tore himself from his mother's womb," MacDuff said.

"So he's an old man then, right?" Marguerite asked.

"No. Although his mother, Morgana, was human, Merlin was not. Some say that he was part angel and part demon. All that I know is that his power was vast before the great battle," MacDuff answered.

"What battle?" Cassie asked.

"Merlin learned of Morgana's treachery and tried to stop her. By then, the Shadow Lord was growing within her womb. He tried to wrest her dark magic away, she was too strong. She somehow gained massive power and trapped Merlin outside of time," MacDuff replied.

"That doesn't seem too bad," Marguerite commented.

"Imagine the one you love most betraying you and then forcing you to live that moment forever. That is Merlin's fate," MacDuff told her.

"So what happened to Morgana?" Cassie asked.

"She did not survive the childbirth," MacDuff responded.

"So what's the big deal with the Shadow Lord and why is everyone afraid of him?" Marguerite asked.

"That I can not answer. His power is greater than mine. I can sense him in the city. I am a gladfly to him that he tries to silence. He wanted me to leave the city and when I would not, he warped Gideon's mind. Gideon became obsessed with controlling L.A, and then by my hand you five were eventually dragged into the conflict. This is how the Shadow Lord operates. He strikes from the shadows and creates clouds in your minds."

"How did you even know about us?" Cassie asked.

"You traveled to my past remember? I made certain that I knew all about you and that you would be on my side. I knew that you had to win the contest in order to go into the past and alert me to your presence. Because of this, I had the inside track to victory against Gideon. And now you are going to fight the Shadow Lord and somehow will win," MacDuff explained.

"So then when we kick his butt, we're taking care of one of your enemies. You should be paying us," Marguerite snapped.

"That is a side benefit. You know what I want," MacDuff retorted.

"We're all just puppet to you, aren't we?" Marguerite barked.

"I prefer to think of you as pawns in a chess game. I may only be a piece, but I am determined to remain a queen," MacDuff replied.

"Know this MacDuff, even a queen can be taken by a pawn," Elijah warned him.

"Only if the player is careless," MacDuff reminded him.

"Or the player requires a sacrifice to win," Elijah countered.

"Get ready to take us back to the Bar," Caliban whispered to Cassie.

Cassie opened her Fairy Eyes and began to search for the path to the Bar. She could sense the power of MacDuff even though she looked away from him. She looked to the Highway West and Jim Morrison walking towards the Bar.

**I CAN TELEPORT US WHENEVER YOUR READY.**

"You are clearly an intelligent man. Why would you take Bob's side?" Caliban asked MacDuff.

"It is difficult to explain so let's go back to the baseball metaphor. Right now you have the perfect chance to even the score. I am willing to bet that you five can do it. But in the end, it's all going to come down to man's basic nature. Not even God can change that. In the end, that's why you have to lose," MacDuff told him.

"And might makes right? I can't understand you," Ruthie told MacDuff.

"Have you ever read _Paradise Lost_?" MacDuff inquired.

"No, I haven't," Ruthie answered.

"You couldn't understand then," MacDuff told her.

"I understand," Elijah said.

"I knew you would," MacDuff stated.

"We'll save your mother, homecheese. But when we get done with all of this, you're number one on our shit list," Marguerite warned MacDuff.

"I would not have it any other way," MacDuff responded.

Caliban nodded to Cassie. Across time, space, and dimensions, she could see Jack's Bar and Grill and the Highway West. Pulling the others into her, Cassie leapt into the Bar.

"Okay, Dudley, we know you've read everything. What did MacDuff mean about _Paradise Lost_?" Marguerite asked.

"He would rather rule in Hell than serve in Heaven."


	9. Chapter 9

The Highway West Andrew 35

Chapter Nine: The Geometry of Shadows

_Since Auschwitz we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima we know what is at stake._

_-Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning_

"Jack, do we have maps somewhere around here?" Marguerite asked.

"But of course. What location and time frame?" he answered.

"We want a map of L.A," Cassie told him.

"Yeah and what time frame?" Jack asked again.

"The most current map that we have."

"I know just where that map is! It should only take me a few minutes. Now where did I put that?" Jack told them as he waddled down the hallway with excitement.

Elijah looked towards the others and sighed. "I should go with him to keep him company," he said sarcastically as he followed Jack.

Caliban returned to the giant comfortable chair and continued to stare into the tapestry. Cassie sat on the floor next to him and put her head on the arm of the chair. Caliban smiled and reached over to Cassie and patted her on the head with his slimy hands. Ruthie and Marguerite looked at each other in horror, but decided not to comment.

"Gary, why do you spend so much time looking at the tapestry?" Cassie asked.

"It is like watching the stars, only instead of light from suns that have died millions of years ago, I can see all of the possibilities of tomorrow," Caliban answered.

"So it's like being in a dream?" Cassie inquired.

"Dreams are the windows of what should be, yes?"

"That's a nice thought, unless your dreams are nightmares," Marguerite commented.

Like a thick fog, silence covered the room. Although none of them would admit it, all of them had recently had nightmares. Footsteps on the wooden floor broke through the silence like a beam from a lighthouse.

"I still don't see why you insisted upon bringing all of the maps," Jack told Elijah in the hallway.

"Older maps might provide a sense of context for when we plan our attack," Elijah answered as he marched into the tapestry room.

Jack followed carrying several maps. "Set them on the map table, bub." Jack told Elijah.

"What table?" Elijah asked, confused.

"This table," Jack answered as he set the rolled maps on a large oak round table.

Elijah blinked his eyes and then sighed. Objects in the Bar seemed to have a mind of their own. Chairs and couches could appear and disappear at a moments notice. "That will fine," Elijah replied.

After unrolling the map, Elijah drew a perfect triangle with St. Elmo's Cemetery, Tagami Towers, and Sister Mary's School for Children as the three points. "MacDuff said that the Shadow Lord was hiding in the exact center of the triangle," he stated.

"Then it should not be difficult to find," Caliban responded as he reached for a calculator.

Within a few minutes, Caliban estimated the exact location of the center of the triangle. "Forgive me, but it has been several years since I have had to do geometry. As far as I can tell, the center is here," Caliban told them as he made a small mark on the map.

"Let's see that's the corner of Sixth and Bradfort street. Right in the middle of downtown," Marguerite informed them.

"Isn't that a movie theater? I think the kids from Sister Mary's like to go there," Ruthie inquired.

"Yeah, it's that old dollar theater," Cassie answered.

"A dollar movie theater in Los Angeles? I didn't think they had those in California?" Ruthie replied.

"It's not a normal movie place. They only show old horror movies. It's more like a movie night club," Cassie told her.

"And if I remember correctly, every one is dressed in costume," Marguerite added.

"Why would the Shadow Lord hide in the middle of a dollar theater?" Caliban asked.

"MacDuff mentioned that the Shadow Lord did not have a choice about his location," Elijah told him.

"Yeah and who's going to notice a few demons? After all everyone's going to be dressed like Halloween," Cassie informed him.

"Still, a movie club does not seem like the right place for the Shadow Lord. Perhaps he is under the theater?" Caliban suggested.

"That might be. Let us look at the older maps, which include the older sewage tunnels," Elijah suggested.

After unrolling the sewage map, they found that the movie theater had several connections to the old system. "Why would a movie theater have so many connections to the old sewage system?" Caliban asked.

"That is something that we should look into," Elijah replied.

"What's the big deal? We know where the Shadow Lord hangs out. Let's go and kick his butt and be done with it," Marguerite suggested.

"The more we know about this location, the more we can use it against the Shadow Lord," Caliban told her.

"Jack, is there a way we can learn the history of this location?" Elijah asked.

"In one of our back rooms, we keep all sorts of records from cities all over the world," Jack replied.

"Okay! Wait a minute! I don't buy this anymore. You mean to tell me you have a copy of every scrap of paper from every politician, every city, and every country?" Marguerite asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Jack answered.

"Why bother? Besides, this old house isn't big enough," Marguerite snapped.

"All information is important. In the end, all of the information stored here will be used for the final judgment," Jack answered.

"God's going to use a laundry list and city records to judge the world?" Marguerite asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, I don't get it either," Cassie agreed.

"It is difficult to believe," Caliban admitted.

"Why go through all of this trouble? Why not tell us what we need to know?" Ruthie asked.

"It is not my place to ask why. I simply serve," he answered.

"That's not good enough," Marguerite told him.

"All that I can say is this is that the One I serve created a place to give to you five a feel for the scope of history," Jack replied.

"I think I understand what he is saying," Elijah told them.

"Enlighten us, Dudley," Marguerite said sarcastically.

"When I studied under Tagami, I would read novels and then we would discuss it. Once, I had Tagami explain a novel to me before I read it. When I finally did read the novel, I was trapped by Tagami's experiences and perceptions. His explanation gave to me a filter from which I viewed the material," Elijah explained.

"And whoever Jack serves wants us to see everything for ourselves. That makes sense," Marguerite agreed.

"If that's settled, then I'll grab what ya need," Jack told them as he began to walk down the hallway.

"There is another matter that we have to attend to before we try to attain the Seal," Caliban informed the others.

"What's that?" Ruthie asked.

"What are we willing to do to capture the Seal of Creation?" Caliban asked.

"We're talking about the whole ball of wax here. If we don't get that Seal, its over. I don't know about you guys, but that says it all," Marguerite told them.

"Are we willing to die for it?" Caliban asked.

"Die for it? What do you mean?" Cassie inquired.

"There's no guarantees. MacDuff and Jack made that clear. If we go in there, we could all die. Are we willing to do this?" Caliban asked them.

"I can't see that God has given us another choice," Ruthie replied.

"I do not see any other choice either. But we have to make certain that we all know where we stand," Caliban told them.

"I didn't think about dying," Cassie admitted.

"With or without all you, I am going," Elijah stated.

"You're not going alone, Dudley," Marguerite informed him.

"You really think we could all die?" Cassie asked.

Elijah forced himself to look into Cassie's eyes. "I am not going to lie to you. We could all die within the hour. If you aren't ready for this, then stay," he told her.

"The Lord will protect us," Ruthie said to Cassie.

"Yeah and God loves martyrs too. Don't feed her that line of shit," Marguerite barked.

"If she is to go, it has to be her choice and she has to know all of the dangers," Elijah declared.

"If I don't go, the entire world goes to Hell in a handbasket," Cassie stated.

"That much is certain." Caliban agreed, "In a sense, it is not fair for us to ask you to come. In a manner of speaking, we are all warriors, except you. Elijah has been trained since birth for this moment. Ruthie has devoted much of her life to become a spiritual warrior. Marguerite is a natural fighter and rebel who has finally been given a cause for which she can fight. This is my last chance to redeem myself. All that you ask is to be loved and left alone, yes?"

"And yet, we need her. She is one of the Five," Elijah argued.

"I've always dreamed of being a hero and now when I get my chance, it's not exactly what I had in mind. But I am not going to leave my friends," Cassie said.

"Then it is settled," Elijah declared.

"No. It is not," Caliban informed him.

"What else do we have to talk about?" Elijah asked.

"We are willing to die, but are we willing to kill?" Caliban asked.

"In the next couple of days, the entire world could be swimming in demons and you think I'm going to be a pacifist?" Marguerite mocked him.

"We do whatever we must to attain the Seal," Elijah stated.

"Do we have to kill them?" Cassie asked.

"We can hope for the best and prepare for the worst," Elijah answered.

"But shouldn't we try to save these poor creatures?" Ruthie asked.

"If I thought we had the chance, I'd say let's do it. But we're going to have our backs against the wall. I don't think we have a choice," Marguerite told her.

"We have to be heroes. That means we make the difficult choices," Elijah informed them.

"The choice has already been made. All we're doing is flapping our jaws about it," Marguerite said.

"I should certainly hope so. You talk more than politicians," Jack scolded them as he entered the room.

Elijah turned to see Jack carry a small stack of papers and documents. "It is a difficult choice we have made," Elijah told him.

"Yes and it is a choice you have already made." Jack informed him, "Once made, the decision is final."

"You going to give us those papers or are you going to lecture us?" Marguerite asked.

"The papers are yours. Now hurry up and save the world. Call me if you need me. My favorite John Wayne flick is on."

Elijah and Caliban divided the documents and began to scan them. While they were reading, Cassie sat next to Caliban and stared into the tapestry. Ruthie decided to pull out her leather bound bible and find scripture mentioning wizards and witches. Since her battle in the Viper Room, Ruthie had thought much about her faith. When the lightning shot from her cross, Ruthie could physically feel the hand on God on her heart. She only hoped that lightning did indeed strike twice in the same place.

Marguerite decided that she needed some air and went outside the house to walk outside. Even though she knew she was in the spirit world and not the Nevada desert, she enjoyed the fantasy and for a few moments was happy and at peace.

"I believe that we have discovered a few facts that have made this worth while," Elijah announced.

"Okay, Dudley, skip the drama," Marguerite ordered.

"It seems as though the location has not always been a movie theater," Caliban replied.

"Okay, tell me something I didn't know," Cassie responded.

"Back in the 1950s, Bellevue Sanitarium used to stand in that exact spot," Elijah revealed.

"I heard about that place." Marguerite said, "When I was a kid, a lot of Sanitariums closed. A lot of the older people used to live there when they were kids."

"I'm afraid I don't understand. Why did all of the Sanitariums close? What was Bellevue?" Ruthie asked.

"In the early 1980s, President Ronald Reagan slashed social spending by a third in order to lower taxes on the wealthy and to increase our military armament to compete with the Soviet Union. One of the programs that was cut was mental hospitals." Caliban explained, "Thousands of people that should be been treated were released in society. A large majority of these people became homeless."

"Bellevue was a home for disturbed children that closed in 1961. It seems as though all of the children began to experience a common hallucination. All them began to hear voices in the night. The doctors decided that it would be best to separate the children and close down Bellevue," Elijah added.

"How horrible! How could they just cast these people out? We spent all of that money building up our defenses for nothing," Ruthie exclaimed.

"Actually that is not a fair statement. While I agree that Reagan could have found a better solution than casting out mentally ill people, he did produce results. When we spent all of that money for defense purposes, the Soviet Union had to keep up with the pace. In fact, because of our greater technology, the Soviet Union had to spend twice as much just to keep up. In the end, it bankrupted the nation. Ironically, Reagan did crush the Soviet Union. He out spent them," Caliban informed Ruthie.

"Your babbling again, Caliban," Marguerite snapped.

"Babble? I do not babble. Sometimes I. . .," Caliban defended himself.

"What about Bellevue?" Cassie asked, trying to focus Caliban's mind on the current problem.

"It would seem that this location has a history of paranormal activity," Caliban answered.

"In the 1920s, according to the records that I have read, the location used to be the city mortuary," Elijah revealed.

"Oh that's intelligent! Put all of the crazy people in the Mortuary!" Marguerite said sarcastically.

"The neighborhood eventually sued the city of Los Angeles for it's removal. They claimed that it lowered their property values, but as far as I can tell the properties were not worth much at that time," Elijah added.

"So what's all this mean?" Cassie asked.

"That the Shadow Lord has chosen his battlefield well," Elijah answered.

"Should we bother trying to find information on the owner of the property?" Caliban asked.

"If he can hide himself from the tapestry, then he's not going to have a paper trail," Marguerite reasoned.

"I agree. It would be a waste of time," Elijah said.

"Then let's go kick his butt," Marguerite told them.

"I quite agree," Caliban added.

Cassie closed her eyes and drew them into her. Each time she drew them into her, Cassie felt closer to them. It was almost as though they were one soul divided into five parts. The Five crossed the river Alpheus and leapt into the black void. As they fell closer to the Shadow Lord, Cassie's Fairy Eyes could see the black emptiness that surrounded the area. She could feel the heat of his dark power pummeling her like waves upon a beach. Cassie only hoped that the Five could surf the waves and reach their source.

A street dog howled in the distance as the Five faded into view. The alley smelled as though the garbage men had forgotten this section of the city for the last three years. Dim lights from the neon signs partly illuminated the narrow alley. Although it was night, the heat of the city washed over them like a tidal wave. An alley cat trotted past them happily with a large rat in it's mouth. "We're in the alley behind the movie theater," Cassie informed them.

"You're getting better at this," Ruthie complimented them.

"Thanks. The closer we become, the easier it is," Cassie replied.

"You said that people would be wearing costumes, correct?" Elijah asked.

"It depends on the movies. I'll go check. You guys stay here," Cassie told them.

"I'll go with you," Marguerite insisted.

"Suit yourself," Cassie said.

Although Cassie would never admit it, she wished she could be like Marguerite. She wished she could be strong, forceful, and the type of person that takes what she wants. Even though Marguerite was a vampire, Elijah had fallen in love with her. To Cassie, who had always searched for love, it was as obvious as a nuclear bomb. Marguerite and Cassie turned the corner from the alley and walked towards the front of the theater.

A large neon sign proclaimed that the building was the Stardust Movie Theater. Under the large neon sign was a listing for several low grade horror movies which included _Evil Dead 2_, _Hellraiser_, and _Nightmare on Elm Street. _

"Stay here a second," Cassie whispered to Marguerite.

"Okay. You get into trouble, you let me know," Marguerite insisted.

"Oh yeah, thrill me," Cassie responded as she strolled towards the ticket booth.

"What movie?" the girl behind the glass asked.

"What time is it?" Cassie asked.

"It's 11:30," the cashier answered.

"What day is it?" Cassie inquired.

"It's Saturday. You on drugs or something?" the cashier asked.

"Oh yeah, I just forgot. Sorry my hair used to be blonde," Cassie replied.

"I can believe that," the cashier replied.

Cassie walked back to Marguerite and took her to the others. "It's 11:30 on Saturday night," Cassie informed them.

"So then everything has taken place within a span of a few hours?" Ruthie asked.

"I made it to the Viper Room at 10 o' clock. I would guess that we left by 10:30. When we returned to the Viper Room it was about 11:00, even though we had lived through a couple of days in the Bar," Elijah explained.

"It seems as though we've been together forever," Caliban added.

"Okay, that was a nice trip down memory lane, we need to get busy," Marguerite told them.

"We need a plan," Elijah stated.

"Why? We never have before," Cassie inquired sarcastically.

"It seems to me the problem is that while we know the Shadow Lord is in this area, we do not know his exact location," Caliban stated.

"Cassie, can you use your Fairy Eyes to find him?" Elijah asked.

"I'll try," Cassie replied.

As she opened her Fairy Eyes, an ocean of colors and sensations washed over her. She looked towards the movie theater only to see darkness. It was a darkness that was blacker than the blackest hate. It was an emptiness that chilled her to the bone. It was an emptiness that slowly began to suck her into it. She fought the urge to join the darkness the best she could. In the end, all she could do was close her eyes.

"What did you see?" Caliban asked.

"Darkness, like the void, only it tried to suck me in," Cassie answered.

"He is cloaking himself. That must be how we could not find him with the tapestry," Elijah reasoned.

"Perhaps, his cloaking spell has worked too well," Caliban mused.

"What do you mean?" Ruthie asked.

"It we can not see him, it stands to reason that he can not see us. When we teleported, we were vulnerable for attack. That would have been the ideal time and place to kill us all. If I am right, the Shadow Lord is as blind as we are," Caliban answered.

"Then how are we to find him?" Elijah asked.

"The old fashioned way," Marguerite responded.

"And that is?" Elijah asked.

"We walk in through the front doors and look for trouble," Marguerite answered.

"Except that we are sure to be recognized," Caliban replied.

"How can they know what we look like already? You're forgetting that it's only been an hour since we trashed the Viper Room," Marguerite argued.

"Perhaps, a scout would work best," Elijah suggested.

"Sounds cool. Who's going to do it?" Marguerite asked.

"Caliban can turn invisible, so he is a likely choice," Elijah answered.

"If Cassie comes along with me, I can cloak her and she can mask my scent, which I understand is quite strong," Caliban added.

**NOT ONLY THAT, BUT I HAVE A WAY TO SEND A MESSAGE THAT CAN NOT BE OVER HEARD.**

"I agree. As soon as you find the Shadow Lord, contact us and we shall be ready," Elijah told them.

"Are you ready, then?" Caliban asked.

"Yeah, thrill me," Cassie replied.

Cassie shifted to fairy form and climbed out of her dress. As she flew onto Caliban's shoulder, Ruthie folded her dressed and put it into her backpack. "I'll keep this so you don't have to run around naked like a heathen," Ruthie informed her.

'Thanks," Cassie said to Ruthie.

When Ruthie looked up from placing Cassie's clothes inside her backpack, she found that she could no longer see them. It was not that Caliban and Cassie turned invisible, but that Ruthie refused to look directly at them. It was part of an unspoken agreement that existed between them. Ruthie tried to find them, but quickly gave up. "Good luck," Ruthie called to them.

**THANKS, I HAVE A FEELING WE'RE GOING TO NEED IT.**

It took a few minutes for Caliban and Cassie to enter the building. If they opened the door themselves, then the cashier would notice them. As long as Caliban did not effect the world that the seers believed in, he would remain unseen. It was when a large crowd of people bought tickets that Caliban slipped through the door. While passing through the door, Cassie felt as though she was passing through a black waterfall. Once inside, everything could be seen.

She opened her Fairy Eyes and began to explore. The people that worked above were mortals. Below was another matter entirely. Cassie could sense the power the emitting from the lower levels of the building. She sent her Fairy Eyes down into darkness. She could sense the power of the First Seal of Creation. As she entered the chamber, she felt as though someone was watching her. Frantically, she looked for the Shadow Lord only to discover that he had found her.

**IT'S A TRAP! HE'S WAITING FOR US! BELOW! BELOW!**

Caliban and Cassie felt the steel arm of the Shadow Lord reach for them. They tried to fight his power, but it took both of them completely by surprise. Caliban tried to move but found that he could not. Being sucked into a void of darkness, they could feel the Shadow Lord draw them closer. A bright light at the end of the tunnel beckoned to them. By the time they reached it, they were captives of the Shadow Lord.

"Greetings and Salutations, Caliban and Cassie, welcome to my home," the Shadow Lord told them.

**IT'S A TRAP! HE'S WAITING FOR US! BELOW! BELOW!**

Elijah Kincaid drew Ascalon and prepared for battle. Without a single word, he bolted towards the movie theater. Ruthie and Marguerite followed. As they burst into the theater, the cashier seeing a man running with a glowing broadsword screamed. Marguerite's eyes turned scarlet. _"Shut up!"_ she barked.

"We need to get to the lower levels of this building," Ruthie explained to them.

The manager, who stood behind the snack bar counter with another employee, moved slowly towards the telephone. "We don't have lower levels to this building," he replied.

"Yes, you do. We need to see them now!" Elijah insisted.

"Please don't hurt anyone! All we have is a small basement," the manger told them.

"Please show us," Ruthie said politely.

As the manager moved away from the counter, the employee moved towards the phone. By the time the manager opened the door to the basement, the employee had reached the phone and began to dial. Marguerite, Ruthie, and Elijah darted down the stairs that lead to the basement. While Ruthie turned the corner, the manager locked the huge steel door behind them. Once the basement had been a bomb shelter for this section of the neighborhood during the Red Scares. Even if the Mexican girl did have glowing eyes, the manager knew that if this steel door could hold off a nuclear explosion it could keep them locked up until the police arrived.

"They locked the door behind us!" Ruthie yelled to Elijah.

"We can't deal with that right now!" Elijah barked as he reached the bottom of the stairs and found the bomb shelter.

"There has to be a secret passage!" Marguerite snapped as she threw one of the table to the side.

"If I am correct, the police will wait for us to come up so we should have quite a few minutes," Elijah reasoned.

"Yeah, but Cassie and Caliban don't, so let's get out asses in gear!" Marguerite ordered.

"I really am quite glad you five actually found me. I wasn't sure if you were going to," the Shadow Lord told them.

Cassie and Caliban were locked in a field of darkness. They could see a vague shape that might have been the Shadow Lord. All they knew was that his voice could crack concrete.

"What are you going to do?" Cassie asked.

"Why wait until the others come, Cassie," the Shadow Lord replied.

"How do you know our names?" Caliban asked.

"Ah. . .that is my secret. Maybe I pulled it from your minds," the Shadow Lord suggested.

"I don't think so," Cassie snapped.

"Or maybe I learned from one of the Five," the Shadow Lord replied.

"Yeah right tell me another one," Cassie mocked him.

"I know all you. Marguerite is the feral one. Ruthie is the sweet one, but prayers aren't going to save you. Bucky, I have to admit, is the wild card. Still, you can not win. I have calculated every possibility," the Shadow lord bragged.

"Did you say Bucky?" Caliban asked.

"Yes I did. I imagine he is a weird one to live with. Still, he's the only one of you that could have crossed through the realm of madness," the Shadow Lord explained.

"Ha! You fucked up this time!" Cassie laughed at him.

"Do not laugh at me!" the Shadow Lord insisted.

"And we thought you were the boogie man. Morrison is more scary than you. At least he knew who the five was," Cassie mocked him as she shifted to human form.

"What are you doing?" Caliban hissed.

"If you can't beat them, piss them off," Cassie replied.

"What do you mean? Are you implying that I do not know who the Five are?" the Shadow Lord bellowed.

"I'm not implying anything," Cassie responded.

"It does not matter. As long as one member dies, the circle is broken!" the Shadow Lord cackled.

"Yeah and when our friends get here, your going to get your butt kicked!" Cassie taunted him.

"Is that so? Your friends are about to be arrested, the Shadow Lord informed them.

Although Cassie dreaded piercing the darkness, she opened her Fairy Eyes. As long as the Shadow Lord encased her in darkness, he could not sense her Fairy Eyes. That had to be an advantage. Cassie tried to teleport out but the darkness absorbed her power and the Shadow Lord laughed.

Her Fairy Eyes searched the boarders of the darkness. She tried to find a hole, but could not. All she needed was a small hole. Then the Shadow Lord would be finished.

"THIS IS THE POLICE! WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" a loud man with a megaphone bellowed.

"Shit!" Marguerite cursed.

"We need to find a way down there," Elijah muttered to himself.

"It's almost as though the Shadow Lord's hiding it from us," Ruthie muttered.

"He might be, but that doesn't help us any," Marguerite snapped.

**CALIBAN, TRY YOUR FLAMES!**

Caliban feared releasing the fire within his body. Part of him suspected that each time he did, he lost a piece of his soul. To save Cassie, Caliban was willing to risk it. He pointed towards the darkness and released a bolt of pure fire. The light from the flame cut through the darkness. For a moment, it looked as though it would burn the darkness to ashes. Then the darkness grew damp and the fire smothered.

"Interesting, I've always wondered if a Fallen could break free from my web of darkness," the Shadow Lord informed them.

"The light almost canceled the darkness," Caliban whispered.

"If only we could get more light down here," Cassie replied.

"Your friends are going to have interesting company soon," the Shadow Lord taunted them.

"Try to send to them. Maybe they can bring light," Caliban suggested.

Although the shadow web could hold any sound, light, or object, it could not with stand the force of the mind. Cassie closed her Fairy Eyes and concentrated on her friends. Her emotion bond drew her closer to them. She was able to break through the shadow web and speak to her friends.

**THE SHADOW LORD IS US HOLDING IN A MAGIC SHADOW. WE NEED LIGHT!**

"Did you hear that?" Ruthie asked.

"Yeah, how are going to get them light?" Marguerite replied.

"We could start a fire, but then we have no guarantee that it would reach them," Elijah commented.

"WE'RE GIVING YOU FIVE MINUTES AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO COME IN AFTER YOU!" the police yelled.

"Just like the LAPD, they treat everyone like a king," Marguerite muttered.

"What should I do?" Ruthie asked them.

"Pray. Your good at that," Marguerite snapped.

While Marguerite and Elijah searched the bomb shelter, Ruthie knelt and prayed. "Lord, we are trying to do Your will, but we can not do it alone. You have blessed us with friendship and fellowship. We have heard Your call to stand against the evil, but we can not fight this battle alone. In Luke 2:32 it has been written that The Lord Jesus is the light that will shine upon all nations. Please Lord, shine that light down upon so that we may fight in Your name."

Although the darkness still surrounded them, Cassie no longer felt afraid. For a second, she thought she heard whistling. Before she could ask Caliban if he heard it, the light shined through. It was as bright as a sun gone nova. It hurt both of their eyes and cleansed their souls. For the first time in a long time, Caliban loved the light more than the darkness. The light flashed for only a moment, but that second was enough for Cassie to act.

She concentrated on Marguerite, Ruthie, and Elijah and drew them into her. When the light dimmed, the Five stood together and free.

"Who are you?" the Shadow Lord asked Elijah.

Ascalon vibrated wickedly. It took most of his strength to keep the mystical broadsword in the correct arc. "I am Elijah Kincaid, the Chiyanbara," he answered.

"Tagami is dead," the Shadow Lord protested.

"I am his son," Elijah told him.

The Shadow Lord could sense great power from the glowing broadsword. It was familiar to him somehow as though he had felt its energy before. Could it be Excalbur? "The lost son of Thane Kincaid! You should not be here! Where is Bucky? Could I have been wrong?" The Shadow Lord cried.

"Surrender the Seal or you will force us to take it!" Caliban warned the Shadow Lord.

"I think not," the Shadow Lord told them.

In the darkness all they could see was a vague shape. Marguerite shifted to her scarlet eyes, but found she could not see through this darkness. It was almost as though the darkness had come straight from the Shadow Lord's heart.

The Shadow Lord snapped and the darkness retreated. A few lamps dimly lit the room. As far as Marguerite could tell, the room was shaped like a hexagon. She could see other shadowy figures pointing at them. "Hey guys, we have company," Marguerite announced.

"Form a circle!" Elijah ordered.

The Five moved to stand back to back in a circled. "What's wrong? Afraid of the darkness?" the Shadow Lord inquired.

"The only thing we're worried about is your smell," Marguerite mocked him.

"Is that so?" the Shadow Lord laughed.

The shadow warriors began to move closer, as if they could sense fear. Caliban began to release bolts of fire in random directions. The quick flashes of light frightened the creatures and they scurried back into the darkness. "Each bolt I release tires me. I can not do this for long," Caliban whispered.

"Surrender. Even if you do get the First Seal of Creation, you will lose. You can not destroy it! You can not carry it!" the Shadow Lord told them.

"You'd be surprised, homecheese!" Marguerite barked.

"Is that so, Marguerite? Who among you can carry it? I have lived two thousand years and I fear to touch it. Only by my magic can I contain it's power. The instant one of you touches it, you will succumb to it's will. And how will you protect it? Yes, I know about the Pit. It figures that MacDuff would think of that. How are you going to get there? To get there you have to cross the realm of madness. Without Bucky, you'll never make it! If you surrender, I will let you live," the Shadow Lord offered.

"Oh yeah so you can just drown us in demons," Marguerite agreed sarcastically.

Marguerite's words inspired Caliban. Something about the Shadow Lord had bothered Caliban since Delilah first mentioned his name. If the Shadow Lord had such great power, why did he need the demons? Why would he need the First Seal of Creation? Why would he hide himself? Why not reveal himself? MacDuff had said that the Shadow Lord had the ability to cloud the minds of men. What if MacDuff fell into the same traps and they were in? Lies, if believed, can take on a strange reality. What if all of the Shadow Lord's power came from their fears and doubts?

"Listen to me!" Caliban yelled to the others. "He is a fake. Elijah lower your sword. Listen to me! All of this is fake!"

"Do you know this for certain?" Elijah asked.

"All I know is that I would love for you to put your sword down, Kincaid!" the Shadow Lord cackled.

"No, I do not. But, it is the only solution that makes sense," Caliban admitted.

"You want us to just stop fighting? Yeah right!" Cassie told him.

"Listen to me! It seems stupid, but you have to believe me!" Caliban pleaded.

The shadow figures moved closer as if ready to attack when the Five dropped their defenses. "I believe you," Ruthie told him.

"I guess I do too," Cassie added.

"I hope your right," Marguerite muttered.

"You are my friend. I believe you," Elijah replied as he sheathed Ascalon.

"The game is over, Shadow Lord. We have won," Caliban declared.

For a few seconds, the room echoed with silence. Slowly, the darkness lifted to reveal a young man who seemed about twenty. Despite his youth, the Shadow Lord possessed the expressions of an old man. "How did you know?" he asked meekly.

"You offered us a chance to surrender. If you were winning, you would have killed us," Caliban answered.

"Where is the Seal?" Elijah asked.

"Over there on the table, but you'll never be able to touch it. That much was the truth. It bends your will," the Shadow Lord cried.

Elijah and Marguerite walked over to the small scratched table to see the First Seal of Creation on a small pedestal. It was the shape of a perfect triangle cut from the purest silver.

"All those years. . .gone," the Shadow Lord wept.

"What are we going to do with him?" Ruthie asked.

"If we let him live, he'll be back," Marguerite told them.

"We have to stop him now," Elijah agreed.

"We can't just kill him," Cassie protested.

"That would be wrong!" Ruthie added.

The Shadow Lord limped over to the corner of the room and sat down in the dirt. "You won't hurt it, will you?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?" Marguerite asked.

"The Avatar. You won't hurt it? It's really nice. Sometimes it talks to you. Sometimes it makes you do things. I didn't mean to hurt her! I didn't!" he whimpered.

"I know. I know," Ruthie whispered to him.

"What are we going to do with him?" Elijah asked.

"We have already hurt him more than we can ever know. Leave him be," Caliban told them.

"We're just going to leave him?" Marguerite asked, surprised.

"Vengeance is mine saith the Lord," Ruthie answered.

"Well, I want a piece of that action," Marguerite announced.

"Look at him. Do you really want to kill him?" Elijah asked her softly.

Marguerite looked at the whimpering man who was once the Shadow Lord. She felt pity and contempt for him. "I didn't mean to do it. Don't hurt me. Don't hurt the Avatar! Please!" he begged.

"Can you really kill him?" Caliban asked.

Marguerite looked over to Elijah. "No. I guess I can't." she answered, "Let's just get what we came for and get the Hell out of Dodge."

"What are we going to do with him?" Caliban asked.

"He should be punished somehow," Ruthie agreed.

"Let's leave him here. He's alive and he has to live with himself. That's enough," Cassie told them.

"No! Don't leave me!" he pleaded.

"Are you certain that you can handle the Seal, Elijah?" Caliban asked.

"No. But I do not see an alternative," Elijah answered as he reached for the Seal.

The room seemed to grow colder and the darkness returned as Elijah touched the First Seal of Creation. He could feel it calling to him, but Elijah ignored it's siren call. Elijah could feel it trying to bend and mold him in it's image, but Elijah was his own man. It offered power, wealth, and pleasures beyond imagination, but Elijah possessed all that we wanted. In the end, it all came down to a show of wills. The Seal asked the dark question: What do you want? Elijah ignored it. This was the moment that Elijah had been born for. This was his purpose. He could sense it now that he held the Seal. This was his candle to hold.

"Are you okay, Dudley?" Marguerite asked.

"He's holding it! He's holding it! He's winning!" the boy who was once the Shadow Lord cried.

"I am fine. . .for now. We must go," Elijah stated slowly.

"Cassie, now would be a good time to take us back to the Bar," Caliban informed her.

"NO! NO! Don't leave me!" the boy cried.

Cassie pulled the others into her. She could feel the taint of the First Seal of Creation like a cancer eating at her heart. Her first urge was to cast it out of her, but she quickly suppressed it. Once the Five became One, they leapt across time, space, and all of the dimensions to reach Jack's Bar and Grill.

As soon as Elijah realized he was standing in the Bar, he dropped the Seal. "It is so evil," he muttered.

"But you held it," Cassie cheered him.

"It took all of the will that I had to not give in," Elijah stated.

"Okay, all we have to do is jump to the Pit and then we can dumb this Seal off and then be happy," Marguerite told them.

"That will not be as easy as it sounds," Caliban informed her.

"Why is that?" Ruthie asked as she pulled out a small folded pile of black clothes from her backpack and handed it to Cassie.

"I believe that the Shadow Lord was telling the truth and that we have to cross the realm of madness. If this is true, then we need Bucky," Caliban informed them.

"Didn't he mention something about a pit?" Cassie asked as she slipped into her clothes, which included a black dress, black undergarments, and black sandals.

"Yeah, I remember him babbling about an arm pit," Marguerite agreed.

"I believe that you are correct. This would suggest that Bucky is supposed to go with us," Caliban reasoned.

"No. I am not going to the Pit with Bucky!" Elijah insisted.

"Do you want to hold on to that Seal forever?" Marguerite asked him.

"No," Elijah answered.

"We can't make it without him," Marguerite stated.

"He is an imp," Cassie muttered, disgusted.

"So?" Caliban asked.

"He's insane. . .we can't trust him," Cassie answered.

"Do we have a choice?" Marguerite inquired.

"How do we know if the Shadow Lord was telling the truth?" Elijah asked.

"We both know he told the truth. Part of him wanted to see the Seal destroyed. It was eating him alive. You could feel that," Caliban argued.

"You must understand how difficult this is for me. First, we have to ask MacDuff for information, now we have to ask Bucky for help. Bucky is more than an enemy. I can not explain it, but he frightens me. What if what he says is true?" Elijah asked.

"Then we all become heroes," Caliban answered.

"Wait, didn't he say something about you being smothered by the arm pit?" Marguerite asked.

"Yes, he did," Elijah answered.

"Then if we ask his help, you could die," Marguerite said.

"But if I can save everyone else, it would be worth it," Elijah admitted.

"Maybe we can find another way," Marguerite suggested.

"There is no other way," Elijah told her.

"I know." Marguerite said coldly, "I know."

"How do we find him?" Ruthie asked.

"We can use the tapestry to locate his position," Caliban answered.

"Should we look at his defining moment?" Cassie asked.

"That sounds like a pleasant stroll," Marguerite muttered sarcastically.

"Whatever his defining moment is, I am quite certain that it will not be logical or understandable," Caliban added.

"What do you mean? There has to be a method to the madness," Elijah argued.

"Of that I am certain. I simply do not believe I will be able to find that method," Caliban explained.

"Besides, do we really want to look into his head?" Marguerite asked, sarcastically.

"The mere thought gives me chills," Ruthie admitted. "Perhaps he can be helped."

"Oh yea, I suppose we could just take him out to a nice chicken restaurant," Marguerite replied.

"I have the fix on him. Are we ready?" Cassie asked.

Elijah bent down and picked up the First Seal of Creation. Elijah could feel the Seal calling to him. Instead of trying to bribe Kincaid, it showed him his death. It was the same as his dream. This was the only course of action.

"Are you okay?" Marguerite asked, seeing the painful look on Elijah's face.

"I. . .will be once we find Bucky," Elijah muttered.

Cassie nodded and drew them into her. The Seal was like an icepick stabbed into her spine, but she endured. Locating Bucky was easy. It was almost as though he wanted to be found.

Three purple doors were in front of them. The small white room was filled with green and blue poka dots. _Do not open me_ was painted on the first door. _Open me_ was painted on the second door. _Bowling Ball Crossing_ was painted on the third door.

"Where in the Hell are we?" Marguerite asked.

"According to the rumors I have heard, this would be Bucky's Playhouse," Caliban answered.

"I assume we have to open one of the doors," Cassie told them.

"If I know Bucky, it is the door that says 'Do not open me,'" Elijah told them.

"Feel free to open it," Cassie told him.

Elijah opened to door and tried to scream. A hundred gallons of yellow liquid washed over him, knocking him against the wall. Behind the door was a small closet designed to hold a large amount of liquid.

"Man that shit smells," Marguerite complained.

"That is because it is urine mixed with a small amount of feces," Caliban observed.

Elijah screamed. Quickly, he rushed to the door that read _Open me_, and opened it. Another hundred gallons of yellow liquid washed over him, knocking him against the wall. Behind the door was a small closet designed to hold a large amount of liquid. Elijah screamed again. This time, he was losing control.

"If the third door pisses on him too, I say we split," Marguerite suggested.

Elijah opened the third door to see a huge bowling ball roll towards him. Quickly, he dodged to the left escaping the bowling ball. Caliban was not as lucky. The three ton bowling ball knocked Caliban into the wall.

"Gary, are you hurt?" Cassie cried.

"No. Not much anyway," Caliban moaned from behind the ball.

The Five listened and could hear electronic music. It was music that was familiar but they could not quite place it. Looking through door number three, Marguerite could see a long tunnel that ended with a long black curtain. A voice seemed to be talking behind the curtain. The voice was much too calm for it to belong to Bucky. Not having any other leads, Marguerite lead the Five down the tunnel.

Quickly, they burst through the curtain ready for a fight to find themselves on a giant stage with hundreds of TV screens. The familiar music echoed from the speakers. The host, wearing a gray conservative suit, stood to the left of the Five and seemed to be waiting for them. "Our newest contestants have arrived. From Los Angeles California we have the Five!" he told the audience who clapped wildly.

"What the Hell?" Marguerite swore.

"We're on Jeopardy! That's Alex Trebeck!" Ruthie cried.

Two other contestants joined them; Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. "Should we play?" Elijah asked.

"This is Bucky's game and we have to play by his rules," Caliban reminded him.

"Which one of us goes on stage?" Cassie asked.

"I know the show," Ruthie stated.

"You're up. Good luck," Marguerite told her.

Ruthie took her place next to Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein and played the game. The first round of categories included Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Biology, Mathematics, and famous scientists. Ruthie failed to answer one question correctly. During the second round, the categories were Bible Trivia, famous saints, Civil War history, Alabama, and the Five. Because Ruthie was in last place, she chose the first category. "I'll take 'the Five' for 200, Alex," Ruthie replied.

"A woman who always wears leather, a real bitch, and needs money for a personality transplant. This person tries to act tough all the time because she is afraid of being hurt," Alex said.

Ruthie's light flashed. She looked over to Marguerite, who did not seem happy. "Who is Marguerite Sanchez?" Ruthie answered.

"That's correct, Ruthie and now you're on the board for 200," Alex congratulated her.

"I'll take 'the Five' for 400," Ruthie told him.

"A fat girl who complains too much. Her hobbies include wearing black, chasing after men who she knows can't love them, and eating bon-bons. Her most famous incident is streaking in the Viper Room," Alex said.

Ruthie's light flashed. "Who is Cassie Byron?"

"That's correct. Ruthie."

"'The Five' for 600, Alex."

"A man that is part monster and part man. His problem is that he can never decide which part he wants to be. His hobbies include watching people with real lives, punishing himself by reading Kant, and feeling sorry for himself."

Ruthie's light flashed. "Who is Caliban?"

"That's correct."

"I'll take 'The Five' for 800," Ruthie replied.

"A man who is filled with Batman envy. His hobbies include quoting people he thinks is wise, wearing tights, and falling in love with vampires and other strange demonic creatures."

Ruthie's light flashed. "Who is Elijah Kincaid?"

"That's correct."

"I'll take 'The Five' for a thousand."

"A woman who is part sinner and part saint. Her problem is that she thinks that she can be one without the other. Her hobbies include bible thumping, praising Jesus, and sending money to televanglists."

Ruthie's light flashed. "Who is Ruthie Jones?"

"Correct. I'm afraid that's all the time we have left for the second round of Jeopardy. We now have Einstein with eight thousand, Newton with eight thousand, and Ruthie Jones with three thousand. Please prepare your wagers for final Jeopardy. The category is Super geniuses."

"Okay, we have all of your answers logged in. The question is 'a man above men. An imp's imp. Brilliant. Divine. Handsome. Charming. A man without weakness. A man without fear. A man without hair. And Ruthie, since you are in last place what is your answer?"

"Who is Bucky?"

"That's right and how much did you wager?"

"Three thousand."

"That places you with Six thousand. And Mr. Newton what was your answer?"

"G.Gordon Liddy," Newton replied.

Alex drew a pistol from his pocket and shot Newton. "I'm afraid you didn't put your answer in the form of a question." he replied, "Mr. Einstein, what is your answer?"

"Who is Patrick Stewart?" Einstein asked.

"Close but I'm afraid the answer in incorrect, since Patrick Steward is not yet a vampire. And how much was your wager?"

"I'm afraid I bet it all, sir," Einstein answered.

Alex shot Einstein. "It seems that you are the winner Mrs. Jones and now you have a choice you can take home the money or see the wizard," Alex offered her.

"I choose the wizard," Ruthie answered.

Alex morphed into Bucky before her eyes. Before she could comment, the entire room shifted into an abandoned warehouse. "Greetings and Salutations, you passed," Bucky told them.

Much to Elijah's delight, he discovered that the urine had been an illusion. Seeing Elijah's delight made Bucky laugh. Elijah drew Ascalon in response. "Now! Now! Kincaid, you came to me, remember? I don't recall inviting you," Bucky told him as he skipped away from Elijah.

"Elijah, we need him, remember?" Ruthie reminded Elijah.

Grunting with anger, Elijah sheathed Ascalon. "You know why we're here," Elijah stated.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Bucky agreed.

"Will you help us?" Ruthie asked.

"Yes, on one condition," Bucky told them.

"And that is?" Marguerite asked.

"I want Elijah Kincaid, the Chiyanbara, to sing the twenty pieces of chicken song!" Bucky answered.

"What?" Elijah cried.

"I want you to sing the twenty pieces of chicken song," Bucky repeated his answer.

"I do not know the twenty pieces of chicken song," Elijah insisted.

"You are supposed to make it up as you go along," Bucky explained.

"I am not going to sing the twenty pieces of chicken song!" Elijah insisted.

"Oh sing the fucking song!" Marguerite barked.

"Please, Elijah, sing the song," Ruthie pleaded.

"What's a matter, Mr. Hero. Your willing to risk your life but not your dignity?" Bucky inquired.

"Twenty pieces of chicken! Twenty pieces of chicken!" Elijah sang, "They're extra spicy. Yum! Yum! Yum. A real good treat!"

"That is the worst twenty pieces of chicken song I have ever heard! But I'll go anyway," Bucky told him.

"Okay, then. Where to?" Cassie asked.

"Take us to the Bar. We need to see if we can find anything out about this Pit," Caliban told her.

"And Elijah can shower and change his clothes," Cassie teased him.

"It was an illusion," Elijah insisted.

"I know. I have to learn that trick," Cassie giggled.

Cassie absorbed them into her. She excepted Bucky to feel like the Seal, but had the sense that he belonged. As they leapt across the dimensions, they could all feel Bucky's joy. When they hoped past the black void, Cassie could sense that Bucky belonged there. It was almost as though the Dreamweb sensed his presence and called to him. It took a few moments for Cassie to fight its power. Once free, Cassie slingshot them straight into Jack's Bar and Grill.


	10. Chapter 10

The Highway West Andrew 69

Chapter Ten: Omega

_Even the journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step._

_-Chinese Proverb_

"What the Hell was that?" Cassie asked Bucky as they appeared in Jack's Bar and Grill.

"It called my name," Bucky answered with a devilish smiled.

"Are you saying that the dreamweb called your name?" Caliban inquired.

"It called my name," Bucky repeated his answer.

"I thought you said that place was dead?" Marguerite asked Cassie.

"It was. Morgana sucked it dry. How's it that it wants you?" Cassie asked Bucky.

"Maybe it collects weirdoes," Bucky suggested innocently.

"The point is moot. We have to get rid of this soon," Elijah stated as he held up the First Seal of Creation.

Elijah looked pale as though he was fighting an illness. "Are you okay, Dudley?" Marguerite asked.

"As long as I carry this Seal, I can not be okay. We have to find what we came for and leave. I can not bear it for long," he pleaded.

Hearing Elijah's voice change dramatically, Caliban looked towards him. "I have noticed that your emotions are going wild," he observed.

"It takes all of my will to suppress the Seal," Elijah stated.

"I didn't realize that it was hurting you so much," Ruthie said trying to comfort Elijah.

"It is not pain that I worry about. We have to hurry," Elijah told them.

"Jack, what sort of references do we have about Hell?" Caliban asked.

"The Bar possesses exactly one million two hundred thousand seventy four different sources that mention Hell," Jack answered.

"Wow!" Cassie muttered.

"I don't suppose that any of them are about people who have actually been to Hell," Marguerite inquired.

"Only one has gone to Hell and returned, with the exception of the Dark One and his followers, and He did not leave a written record of the experience," the ancient man replied.

"There has to be some way of preparing ourselves. How does the Bible describe Hell?" Caliban asked Ruthie.

"Mostly as a lake of fire or a vague underworld. To tell you the truth, I've never given much thought about Hell," Ruthie admitted.

"You mentioned before that the Seal is in the bible. What does it say?" Cassie asked.

"Well, in the Book of Revelations it says that the Lamb breaks open the First Seal and then Death will come on a pale horse to fight the great war," Ruthie answered.

"I take it that there isn't a mention of the Pit, the Shadow Lord, or the Five?" Marguerite asked.

"Not exactly. The Bible does not mention where the Seals come from only that after the Lamb is slain can He be worthy to open the Seal," Ruthie replied.

"Didn't I read somewhere in the Bible that Jesus died and had to stay in Hell for three days?" Cassie asked.

"That has been one interpretation," Ruthie agreed

"Then if Jesus is going to rise again, and all of the dead are going to raise, then having the Seal in Hell kind of makes sense," Cassie said trying to sound logical.

"Perhaps, but remember we can not base our actions on what the Bible says. We do not know have accurate it is," Caliban informed them.

"I do," Ruthie told Caliban.

"Maybe you do, but I am not willing to risk it. We do know that the Seal will cause pain to. . . Bob. That is a good start," Caliban retorted.

"I've always thought that Hell was being locked in a room with nothing to do," Bucky announced.

"I've always thought that Hell would be me locked in a room with nothing to do with you," Marguerite added.

"I have always imagined Hell as a vast wasteland where you wander forever alone," Caliban said earnestly.

"Or perhaps it is the total absence of God," Ruthie added.

"That's too easy," Cassie told them.

"What kind of Hell would you prefer?" Marguerite asked.

"I don't know. I think the kind of Hell that I could believe in would be a place where the souls of the dead realize all of the evil they've done to others and have to relive that evil. You know a kind of karmic backlash kind of deal," Cassie answered.

"Why would you want to help us?" Marguerite asked Bucky.

"Yeah, you agreed to come with us way to easily," Cassie agreed.

"When we get to the end of the journey, I will find the ultimate answer! I have seen it in my dreams," Bucky answered.

"What answer?" Caliban asked.

"Why the answer to the ultimate question. Twenty pieces of chicken!" Bucky replied.

_"Why are you here?_" Marguerite growled.

"Like I have already said, to get my answer and my life long dream," Bucky told her.

"Why he is coming no longer matters. He is the only one who will be able to lead us through the realm of madness. This Seal is like a boulder breaking my back. I will not have the strength to carry it for long. We have to go to the Pit. I can not explain it, but I know that what we are supposed to do," Elijah declared.

"Okay, as I see it, the first order of business is that we have to get to Hell without being caught, right?" Marguerite announced.

"If I teleport straight there, someone will see," Cassie told them.

"How would they?" Ruthie inquired.

"For those that can sense magic, it would be like a flare telling every demon in Hell where we were and alerting. . .Bob," Cassie explained.

"Oh great," Marguerite muttered.

"Did you not mention that the Bar is the center of the universe and that it's roads lead everywhere?" Caliban asked Cassie.

"Yeah, so?" Cassie answered.

"Then, we should be able to use those roads to get to Hell," Caliban reasoned.

"As long as it's not paved with good intentions," Marguerite added sarcastically.

'The Highway West," Cassie exclaimed.

"Exactly. We should be able to walk straight through into the realm like MacDuff told us," Caliban added.

"Just like in my dream! Yes! Yes! This is the way!" Bucky cried.

"Let me get this straight. We're going to walk down a spirit highway until we get to Hell and toss the Seal into the well with a mad imp as a guide?" Marguerite inquired.

"That is the situation," Caliban stated.

"Okay. . .just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy," Marguerite replied.

"It's a long shot, but the only one we have," Ruthie told her.

"Is there anything else we need to take care of?" Caliban asked them.

"Quit stalling. None of us wants to do this, but we have no choice," Elijah told them with a low voice.

Silently, Elijah turned from the others and began to walk towards the main door. He opened the door and turned towards his friends, which he had to admit included Bucky. Together, they left Jack's Bar and Grill and found the Highway West.

The scorching desert sun beat down upon them from the cloudless sky. Vultures circled overhead. A tumbleweed rolled past them as the Five and Bucky began their journey. The Highway West stretched limitless before them. Illusions of water taunted them in the distance. Tired, the Five and Bucky continued to march down the Highway West. Time began to lose it's meaning. They might have been walking for hours or days and would not notice the difference.

After walking countless miles, they could see a figure walking towards them in the distance. Once closer, the Five recognized him; Jim Morrison. "Who's that?" Bucky asked.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you," Marguerite answered.

Jim smiled sadly when he saw them. "Hi," he said softly.

"Why are you still walking down the Highway?" Ruthie asked.

"No matter where you go, there you are," Jim answered.

"Twenty pieces of chicken!" Bucky shouted.

"I remember chicken," Jim muttered.

"Do you know the secret recipe?" Bucky asked.

"No," Jim answered.

"Will you come with us?" Cassie asked.

"No. I've already been where your going," Jim replied as he began to walk past them.

"Am I crazy or is that who I think it is?" Bucky asked.

Marguerite laughed. "Your crazy and its who you think it is," she told him.

Marching up the Highway West, Marguerite noticed that Elijah seemed to move slower and slower. "Are you okay?" she whispered.

"I. . .am fine. It grows on me and in my mind. It seems to grow heavier with each step," Elijah replied.

Marguerite extended her hand to Elijah and smiled. Elijah looked into her eyes and found love. He smiled sadly and took her hand. "Thank you," she whispered.

The Highway West twisted like a snake. Although Bucky wanted to run into the desert, Caliban insisted that he remain on the highway. Bored, Bucky began to sing. _"A billion bottles of beer on the wall! A billion bottles of beer! Take one down and pass it around! A billion bottles of beer on the wall!"_ he sang.

"If I want to hear anything out of you, I'll fart," Marguerite snapped.

"Why don't you like me?" Bucky asked seriously.

"You're too happy," Marguerite answered.

"So what you're telling me is that you're jealous of the fact that I'm happy," Bucky commented.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Marguerite replied.

"Look, there's a sign ahead," Caliban observed.

_Route 666 next left_ was painted on the green highway sign. On the horizon, they could see that the Highway West split into two separate roads. When the Five reached the fork in the road, they chose the left path.

"Caliban! Caliban! How many sides does a circle have?" Bucky asked the Fallen.

"I do not know, Bucky. How many sides does a circle have?" Caliban replied.

"Two. The inside and the outside," Bucky answered.

Bucky enjoyed using Caliban as his straight man. Caliban's responses were often funnier than the joke. Bucky was the irritator, the salt in the wound, and shaper of chaos. Ironically, he grew to respect and even love order. The trip down the Highway West had always seemed to be a means to an end rather than the final catalyst for change. All of the Five were growing into their roles as true heroes. The savage energies of the Dreamweb raged against dying stillborn. If lucky, Bucky would be the midwife.

_They had mentally prepared for demonic images of Hell from the landscape. Much to their despair, they stared straight into the heart of darkness; the heart of humanity. Rows of starved, naked Jews shivered in the glacial Auschwitz night praying to a faceless God. The Nazis cackled; the Jews would be warm soon enough._

Grasping onto the First Seal of Creation, Elijah virtually ignored the rapidly changing landscape. The closer he marched to the Pit, the stronger the Avatar of Dionysus became. If he would only give in, he would have the power to destroy MacDuff. He could light the night afire in his quest to rid the world of the paranormal cancer. He would also have to surrender his will to the Seal and eventually lose his humanity. For a brief moment, Elijah decided to surrender. The caress of Marguerite's hand reinforced the cathedral of will in his mind.

_A single flash of light flared over the city of Hiroshima. Waves of energy hungrily eat buildings, homes, flesh and blood and dreams. Blind children wandered the streets, dying of invisible poison. _

Marguerite's concern for Elijah blinded her to the horrors of Route 666. She lead Elijah up the highway and made certain that he would not trip. She knew Elijah was fighting the Seal in a contest of wills. She would have taken the Seal from him, except that she knew that she would surrender. She could rant and rave for a few hours, but without the anger she would fade like a candle in the wind. Elijah was the only one that could carry the Seal, Marguerite accepted that. She would make certain that he made it to the Pit, even if she had to carry him every step of the way.

_The little girl shivered as the crack entered her body. As long as she had the glow, it didn't matter if she was homeless, her pimp beat her, or that her brother had sold her. She watched as scores of boys killed other boys for the offense of wearing a different color. She didn't care and perhaps that was the worst crime of all._

Caliban found horror in that the images around him no longer horrified him. When they passed a large brass bell with a large crack on the side of the road, Caliban recognized it at once. It was the bell that no longer tolls. As a child he had read _For Whom the Bell Tolls._ The thought of a funeral bell tolling for him had scared Gary Ernest many times as a child. The thought of a funeral bell never tolling for him scared Caliban even more. Was he destined to lose more and more emotions until he became a thinking rock living an eternal unlife?

_Men bought and sold children, boys and girls, for one purpose. . . .nefarious pleasure. They took turns raping their innocence and capturing it on film. _

Cassie once dreamed of living an adventure much like this one. She dreamed of being a hero and facing the armies of darkness. Marching in the cold, Cassie found it ironic that what she wanted most the world was to return home. She missed her father, who always nagged her about her weight. She missed her mother who used to throw fits over her black clothes. Her thin black dress barely protected her from the harsh winds. She wished she could be like Marguerite and be brave. All she could do was take one step at a time.

_The Ascension War had begun. The vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night followed the banner of MacDuff. The Great Barrier had collapsed and Hell had found earth. On a pale horse, Death led the armies of light against them. _

Ruthie wanted pray to Jesus, but she was afraid that Satan would hear the call so close to Hell. She disliked calling Satan by the name Bob. Somehow, it lessened his evil to her. Deep in her subconscious she wondered about what MacDuff had told her. She wondered if everything she had been taught was a cosmic joke and that her faith caused the miracles. Either way, there was no turning back. She knew that terrible sacrifices were going to be made on this journey, she only hoped she could pay them. She clutched her cross and bible like a child hugging a teddy bear. Only her love of the others kept her from fainting. As she marched, she glanced over at Marguerite. Although she had been jealous of Elijah at first, Ruthie had learned to wish them the best. It was a hard lesson for Ruthie to gain a sister and lose her so soon.

The horizon glowed as though a star had crashed onto the highway. Once closer, they could see a giant lake of fire raging in the desert. The highway passed directly over the lake of fire through a large metal bridge. Each step was searing agony as they crossed the bridge. Elijah, tired from fighting the medallion, nearly fainted. Marguerite threw Elijah over her shoulders and carried him to the other side of the bridge.

On the other side of the bridge, the beast in the form of a man waited for them. He wore a slick modern Italian Armani suit with red stripes and black sunglasses. His green eyes appeared to have a slight reddish tint to them. Although Bucky had never seen this man, the Five remembered his quite clearly.

"Mephistopheles!" Ruthie cried and she presented her cross.

The handsome man smiled and glanced away. "Please, please. I have not come to fight, but make a deal. Please tell me, what do you want?" asked the demon lord.

"We don't make deals with the. . .," Ruthie began.

"Please, I would not say that word at this moment," Mephistopheles interrupted.

"I thought you were. . .the. . . you know. We call him Bob," Marguerite said, confused.

"As sweet Mrs. Jones could not doubt tell you in says in that book that she carries that when the One she serves asked one of my kind what his name was, he answered legion. Bob, I love that name, is not the only one that can rebel," Mephistopheles replied.

Elijah opened his eyes and glanced over at the demon. "What do you want?" he asked as he motioned Marguerite to set him down.

"I want you to succeed. When you cast the. . .object that you carry down the Pit, Bob will be quite weakened. That will be my big chance," Mephistopheles answered.

"What about Delilah?" Cassie asked.

"She is but a minor player in a game she does not understand," Mephistopheles replied.

"She came close to taking us out," Marguerite responded.

"You have grown since then and you will have my help," Mephistopheles said arrogantly.

"What do we have to do for your help?" Caliban asked.

"Succeed." Mephistopheles answered, "Do we have a deal?"

"No," Elijah replied

"No? I could report you now and you would be done for," Mephistopheles threatened.

"And all of your plans would be ruined. We know you captured Mary MacDuff to push us into this," Caliban told him.

"I have no idea what you mean," Mephistopheles said innocently.

"I don't either," Ruthie complained.

"I could not figure out why you would take Mary MacDuff instead of just killing her and why you left MacDuff alive. That bothered me. When MacDuff made us promise to save his mother, it bothered me that she would be alive after so long. That is when it occurred to me that you were using her, to get to him, to eventually get to us. You knew he could never rest until his mother was safe, even if he had to damn the world to Hell. Quite clever," Caliban complimented him.

Mephistopheles smiled. "Thank you."

"But I am afraid that it will all fall down on you," Elijah barked.

"And why is that?" Mephistopheles asked.

"Because MacDuff made me promise to save his mother. Unless you release her, the game is over," Elijah answered.

"It is done," Mephistopheles declared.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Elijah asked.

"I rarely lie. The truth is often much more painful. Yes, she is free and right now MacDuff is holding her in his arms. You will learn to regret it later. She has learned much in her stay here," Mephistopheles said with a laugh.

"We'll deal with that later," Marguerite snapped.

"Do we have a deal?" Mephistopheles asked.

"You help us get to Bob, we hurt Bob and you let us go, right?" Cassie asked.

"Correct," Mephistopheles replied.

"And you will take us to the Pit?" Caliban asked.

"No, but I shall take you as far as I can without being spotted," Mephistopheles told him.

"And that is?" Cassie asked.

"To the edge of the realm of madness. Once there, Bob will not be able to sense you," Mephistopheles answered.

"Deal," Caliban said.

"Right now I will deal with you, because I have to, but you're days are numbered," Ruthie warned.

"Oh yes. The end times are near. Judgment day! I hate to break this to you honey, but the One you serve loves this game just as much as I do," Mephistopheles informed her.

"Yes and He is going to win," Ruthie told him.

"Enough said. If we start this argument, we could be here until the end of time," Mephistopheles said with a snap.

Marguerite opened her eyes to discover that she was covered with blood. The scent of the blood was strangely familiar. Gently, she pulled her sunglasses off of her face and looked around. Horrifyingly, Elijah and Ruthie were laying on the ground at her feet. "Dudley, get up!" Marguerite snapped.

Elijah did not respond. Delicately, Marguerite prodded him with her boot. His flesh was unnaturally pale. She knelt down to him, noticing the large wound on his neck. She had killed him and sucked the life-force from him!

"Ruthie, wake up! I killed Elijah!" Marguerite screamed.

Ruthie did not move. It was the unnatural stillness of death. "No! Not you too!" Marguerite screeched.

Shaking Ruthie, Marguerite discovered a large bite wound on her neck. She had killed Ruthie too. Marguerite stood and screamed. It was a primal scream from deep in her soul. She turned her back to her fallen friends so she would not have to look at them.

"Marguerite," she heard a voice whisper.

She turned to find that both Elijah and Ruthie were stirring. "You're alive!" she cried.

"No. You killed us," Elijah responded.

Their movements were like a puppet with half its strings cut. The stench of their blood mixed with the decay of flesh slowly warped her senses.

"You took our lives," Ruthie added.

"We trusted you," Elijah told her.

"We loved you."

"And you repaid us by stealing what we have willing gave to you!" Elijah cried.

"No!" Marguerite screamed.

Elijah and Ruthie were reaching for her. Their hatred had given them a new unlife with a single purpose. . . to kill Marguerite. They were right, Marguerite decided. How many times did she kill before she learned to control her urges? How many families did she destroy? She deserved this fate and far worse.

The awe inspired by the Hall of Heroes had not been exaggerated by Tagami. Many of the great heroes of the past were immortalized in artwork. Siegfried, Arthur, Ramayana, Gilgamesh, and many others lined the walls. Proudly, Elijah walked over to the portrait of Tagami in his prime. The Chiyanbara had a long, proud tradition, Elijah hoped he was worthy. Under Tagami's portrait was an inscription in Japanese. _ Tagami Yomoto the last of the Chiyanbara._

"No!" Elijah cried.

"You are not worthy!" they cried.

Elijah slipped the First Seal of Creation into his trenchcoat and drew Ascalon. He spun around in a defensive arc trying to find the source of the voices.

"You are not worthy!" they cried.

"I am Elijah Kincaid, Chiyanbara!" he yelled.

"No, you are not."

Elijah turned to see Tagami. "Sensei!" he cheered with a huge grin.

It was not the old man who had taught Elijah, but the vibrant man he had met in the past. He wore his Chiyanbara uniform with pride. "You are not worthy! You are not worthy to carry Ascalon," Tagami told him.

"I am worthy," Elijah insisted.

Tagami drew his katana in response. Elijah reasoned that the glowing katana was the same weapon that he held in his hands, but in a different time. "You were never worthy," Tagami told him as he stepped forward.

"Sensei?"

"You have to die!"

It was _5:32 PM_ and she could almost feel the punches. "Ruthie! You bitch! Get in here!" he cried.

Timidly, Ruthie slipped into the dinning room from the kitchen wearing a soiled apron. "What is it Keith?" she asked sweetly.

Keith glared at her. He flipped over his plate of food, spilling it onto the floor staining the carpet. "What do you think your doing feeding me this shit!" he bellowed.

"You liked it yesterday," Ruthie protested weakly.

Keith turned and slapped Ruthie with the back of his hand. The force of the blow knocked her against the wall. "What did I tell you about feeding me leftovers?" he asked her.

Ruthie tried not to cry. Keith hated it when she cried and usually gave her something more to cry about. "You said to feed the leftovers to the dog," Ruthie answered meekly.

Keith beat her again. This time it didn't quite hurt as much. "Then why did you do it, ya dumb bitch!" he screamed.

Her face glistened with tears in the sterile hundred watt lighted dinning room. "We. . .we. . . .couldn't. . . ."

Keith casually slapped her again. "We couldn't what! Tell me! Tell now, ya bitch or I'll beat your ass so hard your mamma'll feel it," Keith bellowed.

"We couldn't afford it," Ruthie whispered meekly.

"WHAT!" Keith shrieked.

"We couldn't afford it," Ruthie said, this time louder.

"What the fuck do you do with my money, ya fucking whore!" Keith howled.

Sobbing, Ruthie looked away. Outraged, Keith smacked her a couple more times. The last blow knocked her into a bookshelf, causing the entire structure to crash on top of her. "WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY MONEY!" Keith cried. It was a shriek devoid of humanity.

"I had to pay your tab at the Oasis," Ruthie muttered through her split lip.

"What did you say?" Keith growled.

Feeling a little spark of courage, Ruthie raised her voice. "I had to pay your tab at the Oasis!" Ruthie said defiantly.

"You worthless piece of shit! Why did I marry you? You can't cook! Your ugly! And your not even good in bed!"

"Please. . . .please," Ruthie begged.

"Hey Mount Cassie, can I send my little brother over for a free climb?" the football player mocked her.

Cassie found herself back at Bullard High School. All of the students who she wished were her friends surrounded her. All of the cliques who ignored her from birth were here. "Hi, guys," she replied weakly.

"I can't believe they let you walk around here like that?" the head cheerleader giggled.

"You are so fucking ugly!" the captain of the football team bellowed.

"I can't believe that anyone would vote for you for Prom Queen!" the head cheerleader declared.

"You're what we call a double bagger. To fuck you, we'd have to put two bags over your face in case one of them slipped off," said the James Dean clone.

"You don't belong here!" said the Queen of the Cool.

"Yea, you're making us sick!" mocked the class clown.

"If I were as fat as you, I'd just kill myself!" the James Dean clone suggested.

"Please. . . don't," Cassie begged.

Caliban crept across the familiar hall. Remaining unseen, he passed the room where his sister lived in. Peeking into her room, he found her crying into her lace pillow. He visited his brother to discover that he was already asleep. He checked on his mother and found her drunk flirting with one of the servants. Smiling his secret smile, Caliban prowled towards his father's den, searching for his prey.

Like a panther, he stalked into the den and stared at his prey. With a glass of bourbon in one hand and the Wall Street Journal in the other, Franklin Ernest enjoyed his wealth. As much as he disgusted himself, Caliban loathed his father more.

_"Greetings, father,"_ Caliban growled.

Startled, his father spilled part of his drink. As Franklin Ernest looked up to see the monster his son had become, his jaw dropped four inches. "Get away from me you freak!" Franklin Ernest cried.

_"But father, you always wanted me to become a monster,"_ Caliban replied.

"Gary? Is that you? What happened?" asked the father.

"I have become my father's son," answered the monster.

"What are you doing?"

"I am going to punish you, the way I've been punished," Caliban cackled.

"What do you mean?"

Caliban looked at the withered husk that has been the terror of his childhood. In his prime, Franklin Ernest had been a robust man who enjoyed physical activities of any kind. Eternally chained to the wheelchair, Franklin Ernest looked closer to an animated corpse than a breathing human. "I'm going to pass on my curse in reverse. I'm going to make you one of us," Caliban told his frightened father.

Peering through the mystical fog, Bucky found the Five. He knew that the madness had already affected them. He could simply drag them through the fog, but that would trap their minds in their current state of madness, which would seriously disrupt his plans. In order to discover the secret receipt, he had to help them fight through the madness.

Marguerite closed her eyes and prepared for her death. She could hear the others crying for her blood and heeded the call. "Marguerite! Marguerite!"

That voice! It sounded like Bucky! She opened her eyes and stepped away from the zombies who were once her friends.

"Bucky! Its horrible! I killed them!" she cried.

"You didn't kill them," Bucky told her.

"What?" Marguerite asked.

"We're in the realm of madness! Its attacking you through your greatest fear!"

"Then they aren't dead?" she asked.

"Not yet. But unless you can help me they might die. Its all in your mind!"

"Why do I do?"

"Kill them. Kill what they represent!" Bucky advised.

"I can't," the vampire cried.

Bucky laughed. "Don't you see. These two images represent your fears. You act like nothing can touch you, but these two have. You're not only afraid of hurting them. You're afraid of them hurting you. You don't want to be vulnerable. You don't want to open up, but if you don't all of you are going to die."

"This is a trick!" Marguerite insisted.

"The only trick is to look into yourself," Bucky told her.

"Do make me do it," Marguerite pleaded.

Her two rotting friends laughed. Frantic, Marguerite's eyes turned scarlet and her hands morphed into claws. Viciously, she clawed the two dopplegangers, ripping them into non-existence.

The katana strike missed Elijah by half an inch. Desperate, Elijah jumped backwards in an attempt to buy more time. Was there a test he failed? Was he supposed to kill MacDuff when he journeyed back in time? Did he miss the path Tagami had selected for him? "Sensei, why are you attacking me?" asked the student.

"Because you failed me. You failed to avenge me!" Tagami screamed, attacking Elijah.

Elijah parried the blow, trying to buy more time. "Kincaid! Listen to me!" a shrill voice echoed.

Elijah stopped for a second. That voice sounded like Bucky. "All of this is a dream! We're in the realm of madness and you are fighting against your greatest fear! I know this is hard but you have to trust me! Try to remember!" Bucky pleaded.

Elijah parried Tagami's attack and tried to remember. He had always felt unworthy to follow in Tagami's footsteps. A vague part of him remembered the mission. "What do I do?" Elijah asked.

"You have to defeat your greatest fear!" Bucky explained.

"How?" Elijah asked as he parried another attack.

"You have to kill Tagami," Bucky revealed.

"No! I would rather die!" Elijah protested.

"If you don't, then all of the others will die. Remember the Seal? The forces of darkness will get it if you do not kill Tagami," Bucky told him.

"I don't believe you!" Elijah screamed.

Taking advantage of Elijah's distraction, Tagami disarmed him sending Ascalon flying across the hall. "You left your guard down! Weak! Weak! No wonder you are unworthy!" Tagami criticized him.

"Elijah! Remember who killed Tagami!" Bucky ordered.

Elijah paused for a moment. He remembered the death of Tagami. Bucky distracted Tagami so that Lucian could kill him. Tagami was dead! Elijah remembered. If Tagami was dead, then perhaps Bucky was telling the truth.

Elijah knew what he had to do. While Tagami wildly attacked, Elijah dove for his weapon. By the time, Tagami realized that Elijah had moved the tempo of the battle had changed. Elijah moved Ascalon from a defensive arc to offense and attacked. Surprised, Tagami was not able to defend himself in time. Elijah pierced Ascalon through Tagami's chest, who fell to the ground defeated and dead.

"Ruthie! Wake up!" Bucky cried.

For a brief moment, Ruthie found herself ignoring the beating given to her by Keith. The strange voice sounded familiar. "Ruthie! Its me. . .Bucky! You are in the realm of madness! Hell is trying to hurt you. You have to fight the challenge!" he told her.

"I can't. . .I can't fight him," Ruthie wept.

"You have to. You see, this is why your always so hard on yourself. Everything else you could forgive, but not standing up to him is killing you. You see you can't love anyone if you hate yourself, including God," Bucky told her.

Peering out of her bruised eyes, Ruthie looked at Keith for what seemed to her the first time. She had always thought of him as the strong one. He may have been a little violent, but that was just his way. Gazing into his heart, Ruthie knew the truth. Keith was always the weak one. He never had the strength to make it on his own. Whenever he lost a fight, a struggle, or money, he tried to suck Ruthie's strength.

"No more!" she muttered through clinched teeth.

"What! You talking to me, bitch!" Keith bellowed.

Angry, Ruthie made her stand. "Do not talk to me in that manner!" Ruthie ordered him.

Keith laughed. "What are you going to do about it?"

Ruthie smiled sweetly and took a step towards him. Keith chuckled. "Are you finally ready to play things my way?" he asked.

"Of course," Ruthie answered, preparing herself.

"It's about time," Keith muttered.

Smiling, Ruthie slammed her knee into Keith's crotch. Like Murphy, he slumped to the ground in pain. "You are quiet right. Its about time," she said.

"Cassie! Cassie! This is all the realm of madness!"

Cassie spun in a circle, trying to find Bucky through the crowd. "Leave me alone," she cried.

"Fight them. Believe in yourself," Bucky told her.

Cassie closed her eyes. Once, these people meant everything to her. She would have given anything to be part of their group. "I can't fight them," Cassie muttered.

"Don't you see? This is your test. You think you've been controlled by these people all of your life, but you haven't. You've given in. These people aren't real. They're your impression of how normal people should be," Bucky revealed.

"These are how normal people should be," Cassie insisted.

"No. They're a limitation you've put upon yourself," Bucky continued.

"How can I fight them?" Cassie asked.

"You have to reject them. You have to refuse to be bound by what they represent," Bucky answered.

"Is that all?" Cassie asked sarcastically.

"If you try, you'll find its easier than you think," Bucky encouraged her.

"Leave me alone!" Cassie muttered. The others cackled.

"Leave me alone!" the clique mocked her.

"I said to leave me alone!" Cassie ordered them.

"You don't want us to leave you alone," the captain of the football team protested.

"I wanted to be like you, but no matter what I did it was never enough! Leave me alone!" Cassie insisted. The clique ridiculed her.

Stoically, she unzipped her dress and let the silk material drop to her ankles. She stepped out of the dress and pushed herself forward. "I don't need you anymore. I have friends now. Real friends. I have myself. Maybe that's all I've ever needed."

Shocked, the crowd parted and let Cassandra pass them.

"Don't kill him Caliban!" Bucky warned him.

Only a few feet away from his father, Caliban stopped. He thought he had heard Bucky's voice. "Bucky? Is that you?" Caliban asked.

"Don't kill him. We're in Hell. Remember? I am supposed to lead you through the realm of madness. If you kill him, you'll be trapped here forever," Bucky answered.

"Do you know what this man did to me?" Caliban growled.

"No worse than my dad."

The old man whimpered trying to find the will to move. "He made me into the monster I am today," Caliban muttered.

"You have willingly made the decision to become a monster. Until you accept this, you'll never grow beyond this pain. Yes, that man is a monster and he set you on the wrong road, but you decided to travel that road. You decided to take his mantel."

"I guess I did. I am responsible for the man I am today," Caliban admitted. He had taken his first step towards becoming human. He accepted responsibility for his own actions.

Bucky lead the Five through the fog until beams of light shone through the mist. A thousand tiny voices whispered like a million cockroaches singing an opera. "I never want to do that again," Cassie declared as they stepped out of the realm of madness.

"Oh shit," Marguerite cursed.

An ocean of demons turned from their worship of the Pit. A mound of stairs built from the burnt souls of humanity lead to the mouth of the Pit where the blind High Priest cried to their Dark Lord. Catching a glimpse of something wicked waving in the Pit brought a dark cheer of malice from the Horde

The Horde had not fed on human flesh in almost two thousand years and their hunger was great. At first both sides were shocked. The Horde had never dreamed in their wildest fantasies that the Five would actually invade their realm. Seeing the limitless army of demons made even Bucky drop his jaw.

"We need to strike and strike hard," Elijah told them as he slid the Seal into his trenchcoat and drew Ascalon .

"What did you have in mind, Dudley?" Marguerite asked.

"Caliban, Marguerite, you two stay on the outside. I'm going to need you two to cut us a path. Cassie, we need illusions! When I say so, make an army as huge as you can think of at this point. Ruthie, I do not know what you did to the Shadow Lord, but we need you to do it again. When I give the word, you do whatever it is that you do. See if you can bring down the wrath of Heaven. Bucky, I need you to carry and protect Ruthie. She's the most vulnerable. Everyone else can heal. I'll take the point," Elijah ordered as the Horde slowly advanced.

"What? We're going to charge them?" Cassie asked.

"It does sound odd, Elijah," Caliban admitted.

"Listen to me. All my life I have been trained for this moment. They're expecting us to try to fortify ourselves. If we act now, we can cut through their ranks. If we are fast enough, we can reach the Pit," Elijah explained.

"Then we'll be trapped there," Ruthie commented.

"No, I can teleport us out of there. I think," Cassie told them.

"Why not have Bucky carry you, Elijah?" Caliban suggested.

"The demons would simply block the entrance to the Pit. When I step up to the Pit, I need you to protect my backs. I have a feeling that it is not going to be as easy as we think to toss it in," Elijah explained.

"We have to trust him," Marguerite stated.

The others agreed. As the Horde crawled closer, their figures became more clear. To Ruthie's surprise, all of the demons were beautiful, looking more like melted wax angels than her image of demons. The black hatred in their eyes combined with great beauty startled them. The demons fought each other for space as they slowly advanced towards them. Elijah waited until he could see that the Horde had spread part of its number. With the large concentration of demons in a small area, the Five and Bucky would have the advantage of a small unit. As long as they retained the fighting room, they had a chance.

"Now!" Elijah cried as he charged forward.

Cassie shifted to Fairy Form and circled above Elijah, waiting for his command. Marguerite and Caliban, each ready for battle, flanked Elijah and followed his charge. Ruthie allow Bucky to take her into his arms and fly directly behind Elijah, between Marguerite and Caliban.

Seeing their charge delighted the Horde. It had been a long time since they had such an easy victory. When the first wave of the Horde was in striking range, Elijah screamed to Cassie. "Cassie, now!"

Cassie closed her eyes and focused her concentration. Part of her mind remembered ancient memories and legends. Ariel had shown her the way.

_Each of the fairyfolk have kept the Awakening alive. We take the spirits of the age and imprint them in our hearts. The heroes that are remembered by the mortals are felt through the Dreamweb. Every fairy throughout time sends their dreams through the Dreamweb to the Awakening. In the last days, the last fairy is supposed to take this Awakening and use it to give the universe a second chance._

She could feel Bucky supporting her power and imagination in ways that she would have never before conceived. Although she had gained a large measure of control in a short amount of time, Cassie knew she had a lot to learn. Bucky pushed the raw material of her ability and allowed Cassie to use all of the abilities at her command. Cassie reached past a point that she always been afraid to cross. Cassie pulled memories from her racial consciousness. Fairies from every point in time sensed her need and reinforced her power. When she opened her eyes, the sheer magic of the act stunned her.

A thousand warriors appeared through the Realm of Madness; The Light Brigade had arrived. The Awakening had begun.

**SOMETHING STRANGE HAS HAPPENED. THOSE WARRIORS AREN'T ILLUSIONS!**

"We do not have the time to worry about it!" Elijah yelled as he cut a demon down in his path.

The Horde made the time to worry about it. The Light Brigade was not only a legion of warriors, but the living essences of the dreams of humanity. Throughout the ages, humanity's vast network of dreams produced icons of unimaginable power. Elvis, the living embodiment of the American Dream, led the charge. Symbols that inspired the human soul to transcend the mundane flesh prepared to defend their creators. Thor, Hercules, and many other figures from mythologies across the world readied their weapons. Chiyanbara Masters throughout time gathered for this final battle; Tagami along with Siegfried, King Arthur, Ramayana, and Gilgamesh charged to defy the evil. Modern pop icons such as Superman, Captain Kirk, Spiderman, Luke Skywalker, and Santa Claus rushed into the melee. Upon seeing the Light Brigade, the Horde cringed. The Light Brigade were made from the best of humanity; the stuff of dreams.

Enraged, the Horde shifted the majority of their forces to fight the Light Brigade. This gave Elijah Kincaid the window he had hoped for. He sliced a path through the demons and Caliban and Marguerite made certain the demons fell. Although their rear was unprotected, Elijah hoped that their speed would be sufficient to keep the demons from attacking them there. He quickly lost count of the demons that he slew. He fought like a man who knew that his time had come.

Seeing the Pit from the distance had given Elijah a small glimmer of hope. If he had reached the Pit a few minutes later, he might have surrendered. Seeing the Horde reach for him filled his tired limbs with strength born of will and anger. Together, Elijah, Marguerite, and Caliban created a wall of death that no demon could cross.

Marguerite used her claws to slice through all of the demons in her way. The Horde quickly learned that the harnessed demons with her mind outmatched any show of force they could muster. Like a wild wolverine that has been attacked and pushed too far, Marguerite chewed through the field of demons. Unlike Elijah, Marguerite had been hit many times. Each time, she pushed her mystical blood through every cell of her body to heal her wounds. She quickly ran through her internal supply of blood. Her cells demanded more and more blood. The hunger renewed her strength and only sharpened her desire to slay the demons.

While Elijah and Marguerite used their anger, Caliban retained his cool. Efficiently as a machine, Caliban used his superior strength to pummel the demons to death. He found it odd that the demons died so easily. He had always imagined that demons would be strong creatures. As he throttled a demon by the neck, he wondered if that legend had sprung through lies in the same manner as the Shadow Lord's power. Seeing the shock on the demon's face, Caliban guessed that the Horde had never faced someone who would fight back. After releasing the demon, Caliban discovered to his complete surprise that he had lost two fingers on his right hand.

Bucky held Ruthie close to him, which made her feel uncomfortable and he enjoyed it. Besides helping Cassie reach her ancient ancestral memories, Bucky used his telepathy to dull the minds of the demons. Many of the demons Elijah had killed were partly mind controlled by Bucky. When Bucky found a strong demon, he shifted the demon's perceptions and had it fight other demons. By the time they had reached the half way point to the Pit, a small squadron of demons followed his command and killed their brethren.

Floating high above the battle, Bucky could see the Pit. He knew what would happen, which he not mean that he approved. He knew that the great Colonial Sanders in the sky had a plan. He knew that the secret to twenty pieces of chicken waited for him.

Ruthie closed her eyes and hoped the battle would pass her by. She wished she could fight like Marguerite, or even Cassie. She was afraid. She knew that the Lord would protect her, but she was afraid. Fighting had always frightened her. Carried by Bucky, Ruthie could only concentrate on her fears. Twice she the Hand of the Lord had touched her and used her body for His powers. Would He help her in the bowels of Hell? She knew Elijah had a plan, she only hoped he was right.

The battle quickly shifted. Even the Light Brigade could not withstand the might of the Horde. They knew that they were a holding action to delay the demons. By the time the Horde realized it's mistake, Bucky and the Five had cleared their path. Upon reaching the base of the stairs that would lead to the pit, they found that the Horde had turned from the Light Brigade and now moved towards them.

"Ruthie, now!" Elijah ordered.

Bucky lowered Ruthie to the ground. Caliban and Marguerite moved to place themselves between the Horde and Ruthie. Standing on the first step, Elijah looked towards the Pit and Bucky smiled. The Horde General ordered his golden trumpet blown. The sound of the blast grated their ears like fingers across a chalkboard.

Since her arrival at Jack's Bar and Grill, Ruthie had always suspected that it would come down to this. Despite what MacDuff had told her, Ruthie clutched her faith like a faithful teddy bear. While the others had slept, she had searched the Bible. She opened her Bible and turned to the place that her bookmark had highlighted. She had spent quite a few hours underlining the parts she felt that she would one day read and made certain she had it memorized. That day had come!

_"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony!"_ she prayed.

Silence. It was the eye of the hurricane; the eye of God. The sound of the terrible blast cracked their ears. It gave a few seconds warning before the blast. A vast explosion like a thousand nuclear warhead erupted from Ruthie. The waves of destruction devastated the demons. When their eyes recovered, they found that they were the only ones standing in the vast battlefield. Everything else had been completely erased.

Ruthie appeared less human and more angelic. It was both beautiful and horrifying at the same time. By taking a step closer to God, Ruthie stepped closer to becoming a whole human.

"I. . .did not believe," Caliban muttered with awe.

"Have we won?" Cassie asked with a cheer.

Elijah, reached into his pocket, and pulled out the First Seal of Creation. "No. . .not yet," he answered.

"Toss it in and it's Miller Time," Marguerite declared with a smile.

"It's not that simple," Elijah stated.

"Why?" Caliban asked.

"This Seal has to reach the bottom of the Pit. I have to make certain that it reaches the bottom," Elijah explained.

"No! That's fucking stupid," Marguerite protested.

Elijah stepped toward the Pit. "Look, and see what I mean," he told them.

Bucky and the Five climbed the steps to reach the Pit. Looking down they could see the hands of all of the depraved murderers and wicked child molesters through out time. The Pit had been built on their lusts and hatred and now they served their master well. "I knew it! The Arm Pit! Don't you guys see! This is it!" Bucky cried.

"Yes, you knew," Elijah said sadly.

"I will pray to God, He will know what to do," Ruthie declared.

"I already know what to do," Elijah told her.

"Throwing your life away is not the answer!" Marguerite snapped.

"Not long ago, I was told a story by a man named Iron John," Elijah began to explain.

"Iron John? I know him!" Ruthie cried.

"Me too! So what?" Marguerite asked rudely.

"He told me a story about a hero. A hero that fights against the machine. That is what all of this has been about; us becoming heroes and fighting the machine. I wish you could all see yourselves as I do now. All of you have grown. This is not something I wish to do, but I am the only one of us that can do it," Elijah explained.

"I have greater strength than you," Caliban argued.

"But do you have my will? Can you hold the Seal until the bottom?. I can. I am the only one that can go," Elijah told him.

"Hey! Don't think you can go with out me!" Bucky protested.

Elijah smiled sadly. "No. I am stuck with you," he agreed.

"Then, I'm going too," Marguerite insisted.

"No. That would be a waste. I once told Caliban that I could never expect love from you. What is my life compared to a life that could live until the end of time? As long as you are alive, so is our love. And so will our child. Remember what Cassie said. She saw you pregnant and me dead," Elijah declared.

"I can't lose you now that I've just found you," Marguerite cried.

Cassie looked down the Pit and knew that she would never see Elijah again. She began to cry softly, but quickly turned to balling like baby. She looked over to Ruthie only to discover that Ruthie was crying as well. Caliban felt sorrow. It was not often that his emotions surfaced, but he found that even a monster can shed a tear.

"It's been real kids, but we got to go," Bucky declared.

Elijah embraced Marguerite. "Promise to do two things for me," he asked.

"Yes, anything," Marguerite agreed.

"Kick MacDuff's butt," Elijah told her.

Marguerite laughed through her tears. "And I'll even make him like it," she agreed.

Elijah then sheathed Ascalon and handed the mystical sword to the vampire. "This is a special blade called Ascalon. It is a holy sword. Hold it until another comes to claim it," Elijah said.

"You'll need it," the vampire insisted.

"The Pit is not wide enough for me to swing Ascalon and I would rather not break its long chain," Elijah replied.

"Long chain?" asked the vampire.

"This sword is ancient. You may have heard of it by the name Excalbur," Elijah answered.

"You've been carrying Excalbur and you've never bothered to mention it?" Marguerite asked.

"We never discussed my sword," Elijah explained.

"I'll hold it for you," Marguerite declared.

"If there is any chance of coming back for you, I will take it. I will fight all of the demons in Hell if I have to," Elijah whispered to her.

"I know you will," Marguerite said sadly.

Elijah kissed the vampire's cheek. "I love you," he said softly.

Reluctantly, he released Marguerite and turned to Ruthie. "I believe," he told her.

"I know," Ruthie replied softly.

"I guess this is it," Cassie said as she shifted to human form.

Elijah hugged her close. "Please, buy some clothes," he joked.

Cassie wiped a tear form her eyes. "Okay," she said.

Elijah turned and extended a hand towards Caliban. Caliban grabbed Elijah with his wounded hand that was missing two fingers. Green slime wiped onto Elijah's hand. He no longer noticed.

"You are a good man, Gary and a terrible monster," Elijah told him.

"I try," Caliban agreed with a smile.

"It is time," Elijah decided.

Bucky and Elijah walked to the edge of the Pit and held hands. Elijah smiled. "I now understand," he told Bucky.

"I knew you would," Bucky replied.

Together they jumped into the Pit. Thousands of wicked hands grabbed them as they descended down the black hole. "Twenty Pieces of Chicken!" Bucky yelled.

"Let's go home." Cassie told them sadly, "There's nothing else we can do."

The sinister hands danced over their bodies and they descended into the sweltering darkness. Defiant, Elijah refused to drop the First Seal of Creation and accept sweet release. No part of his body escaped violation. With the grace of a mad elephant, the hands gorged out Elijah's eyes. Blind, the only sound he detected was Bucky's scream as they fell closer and closer to the bottom. Terrified, he tried to scream, but one of the hands gagged him. The inferno evil smothered him like a thick blanket. With each second, the Seal burned his hands a little more, but he protected it as though it were a small child.

Silence. Elijah hoped that Bucky had found his secret receipt. Sightless, he could sense that the end of his descent was upon him. Despite the best he offered of himself, he began to lose control. Dark colorless vertigo. Vicious agony. Chaste, tender, vivid whistling.


	11. Chapter 11

The Highway West Andrew 85

Chapter Eleven: Alpha

_Memory, prophecy, and fantasy--the past, the future and the dreaming moment between-- are all one country, living one immortal day._

_To know that is Wisdom._

_To use it is the Art._

_-Clive Barker, The Great and Secret Show_

Like a Grandmaster returning victorious from a chess tournament MacDuff waltzed into the conference room. He allowed the others to glimpse his new power like a stripper peeling layers of clothing. Casually, he took his seat at the head of the conference and pulled his pipe from his pocket. Forcing the others to wait, MacDuff lit his pipe and inhaled deeply. Scanning the room, MacDuff found that Murphy, Morrison, and every other creature that he invited had arrived and eagerly watched his every movement.

"Thank you for coming. As I promised I do have interesting information for you. To begin with Gideon is dead and I am the new Lord of Los Angeles," MacDuff informed them.

The audience of twenty murmured with excitement. MacDuff paused to let the elders of the city digest the information. A few of them had sworn loyalty to Gideon and were clearly not happy. The tall vampire with long greasy black hair and dark sunglasses known as Blake shook his head with disgust. Defiantly, he rose from his chair and slipped on his ragged leather jacket.

"So you bagged Gideon. Whose to say we gotta follow you?" Blake questioned the vampire master.

MacDuff thoughtfully puffed his pipe. "And whom should the leader be? You?" MacDuff asked.

"I run the Bloodz. I could run the city," Blake answered arrogantly.

A few of the elders whispered their agreement. The Bloods were a popular, powerful vampire gang that controlled much of the city's drug trafficking. MacDuff smiled; he had expected Blake to challenge him. Many of the Children of the Dark One were Social Darwinists who believed that only the strongest should rule. The subtlety of leadership and manipulation would always be foreign to them.

Morrison growled menacingly at Blake, but MacDuff shook his head. Smiling softly, MacDuff glanced in Blake's direction still smoking his pipe. Using the mystical blood swirling in his body, MacDuff mentally lunged towards Blake. Blake's easy smile twisted into a grimace of pain. "No! What are you doing?" Blake cried.

Silently, MacDuff continued to enjoy his pipe. Writhing in pain, Blake reached inside of his pants to produce a pistol. Desperately trying to still his shaking hands, Blake aimed his weapon at MacDuff. Black veins wormed their way to the surface of Blake's face. Gritting his teeth, Blake concentrated on pulling the trigger. As his finger triggered the pistol, Blake's head exploded like Mount Everest spreading a thin haze of crimson mist across the conference room. The bullet stopped an inch short of MacDuff's face and fell into his open hand.

Gently, MacDuff removed the pipe from his mouth. "As I was saying, Gideon is dead and I am the new Lord of Los Angeles," he repeated himself.

A thin, balding man wearing an expensive Armani three piece suit raised his hand. His name was Remington and MacDuff knew that he was a mage and unlike Blake could be dangerous. "Do you have a question Mr. Remington?" MacDuff inquired.

"As a matter of fact I do, Mr. MacDuff. What does the Shadow Lord think of you becoming the Lord. As you know, he does not appreciate you like we do," Remington questioned MacDuff.

MacDuff smiled. Remington was carefully baiting him. "Actually I was just getting to that. The Shadow Lord was defeated by the Five and I killed him," he revealed.

Awed, Remington's eyes bulged. "You killed the Shadow Lord," he muttered.

"It was quite easy once the Five defeated him," MacDuff admitted.

"What about the Five?" Remington asked.

Patently, MacDuff tapped his pipe and nodded towards Murphy, who opened he door to the conference room. A beautiful woman with long red hair waltzed into the room with a wicked smile. Her eyes and hair matched MacDuff's color. She wore a long white dress that highlighted her perfect breasts and slim figure.

"This is my mother Mary MacDuff. As some of you may know she was captured by Mephisto centuries ago. I made a deal with the demon. I would trick the Five into doing his dirty work and he would return her to me. The Five on my advice marched into Hell through the Highway West and dropped the First Seal of Creation down the Pit of Darkness. This had two effects. First, the Great Barrier was healed giving me time to prepare for the Ascension War. Second, it wounded the Dark One giving Mephisto a chance at the dark throne. I, and I alone, have Mephisto's backing," MacDuff explained.

"And the Five?" Remington asked.

"Elijah Kincaid is dead. He jumped down the Pit to deliver the First Seal of Creation to the Dark One," MacDuff answered.

"What about the Dreaded One?" Murphy inquired.

"Bucky is also dead. He jumped with Kincaid down the Pit. The others are mourning Kincaid in Xanadu. Since the Five are now four, they are powerless," MacDuff replied.

"What if they find a new member?" Remington questioned MacDuff.

'I have already taken steps to ensure that the remaining four are not a problem," MacDuff told them.

"I am impressed," Remington admitted to the master vampire.

"Thank you. I am telling you this for two reasons. First, I want you to be impressed. To be blunt I want you to join me. The second reason is that I know a few of you are spies. I know which ones you are, but it does not matter. I want you to spread the word to your masters. If you wish to live and prosper, then you will join me," MacDuff stated.

"And if we don't?" Murphy asked.

"You saw what happened to Blake," MacDuff warned him.

"You have an excellent way of making your point," Remington complimented him.

"Thank you. As Lord, I have a few announcements I wish to make here before the elders of the city. First, I need a loyal man who knows administration as my lieutenant. I have selected Murphy," MacDuff announced.

"Me? My lord, you know to whom my true loyalties lie," Murphy protested.

"Yes. I know. I also have something the Zhongshan wants," MacDuff revealed.

"What's that, my Lord?" Murphy asked, curious.

"The location of their Princess and the soul of their King," MacDuff answered.

The crowd gasped with amazement. "If that's the case, you know we will serve you," Murphy swore.

"Yes, I know. In addition, I am going to need an enforcer. I need a man who is a natural born killer. A man who will eat my enemies' bowels first and decapitate them later. I can thank of no one better suited to the task than Mr. Morrison," MacDuff told them.

Morrison grunted his approval and the audience was too afraid to disagree. "What do you want us to do?" one of the elders asked.

"You only have one order; obey me."

In stunned silence, MacDuff resumed smoking his pipe. He plan had been executed perfectly like a chess maneuver. He wished that Kincaid had been alive long enough to fully understand his plan. Life would boring without him.

"Who are you?" asked Iron John.

"I am Elijah Kincaid."

"What do you want?" asked the other. He was thin, young, and sad. He dressed as though he were attending a funeral. We wore white makeup and colored his lips black. Surprisingly, his hair was as blond as the sun and his eyes were the color of the morning sky. Although Kincaid had never met him, Cassie once knew him by the name of Barker.

"I want to live."

"Who are you?" asked the black man.

"I am the Chiyanbara."

"What do you want?" asked the white man.

"I want to purge the world of evil."

"Who are you?" asked builder of life.

"I am a man."

"What do you want?" asked the destroyer of life.

"I want to follow my ancestors."

"Who are you?" asked the Way.

"I am a bringer of light."

"What do you want?" asked the Means.

"A chance to hold the candle again."

"This is the last chance. Who are you?" asked the Father.

"I. . .I do not know."

The Son smiled. He had won. "What do you want?"

"To know who I am."

Surprised, the white man in black dropped his smile. Iron John laughed. "You see. They can learn. He has learned something it has taken you an eternity to discover."

"Perhaps, but I have made my choice."

"Have you? Or are you making that choice now?"

"I can not return. Innocence, once lost, is never regained."

"Innocence is not what I desire," Iron John stated.

"You have decreed that where there was seven, there would be three."

"One of the three has left the fold. He has followed you, Morgenstern."

"Who?"

"Gabriel."

"I can not believe it!"

"It is so. I have given him that which he wished the most."

"And that is?"

"Mortality. Humanity. Hope for the future."

"Then there is hope for me."

"How long are we going to sit here and just mourn? It's been three days! Can't we find out what happened to Elijah?" Cassie asked her fallen friend.

Caliban shifted slightly in his easy chair. For three days, almost from the instant they returned from Hell, he watched the tapestry for a sign of the man named Elijah Kincaid. Ruthie had bandaged his hand to stop the bleeding. A slighting tingling sensation indicated that his fingers were slowly regenerating. "His thread has been cut and I can not find any sign of him. Believe me when I say that I've tried," Caliban replied sadly.

Sighing, Cassie sat down next to Caliban and gazed into the tapestry. Since they had returned from Hell, Cassie had a sense that the mission was not complete. She refused to believe that Elijah had died. Caliban knew that his friend had died, he simply wanted to know how Elijah fared in his final quest.

Ruthie entered the room from the hallway, looking tired as though she had not slept for days. "How's she doing?" Cassie asked.

"Not good, honey. I'm afraid that she's locked herself in her bedroom. The poor thing hasn't eaten in three days. She must be going mad in there," Ruthie answered.

"She must feed soon," Caliban insisted.

"It's not exactly up to me. She's watching over his sword like its a relic or something," Ruthie protested.

"If she does not eat, she will lose her mind and go into a blood frenzy," Caliban explained.

"What can we do?" Cassie asked.

"I do not know," Caliban admitted.

Tears began to form in her eyes. "We've kind of jumped out of the fire and into the frying pan. What are we going to do?" Ruthie cried.

Cassie quickly joined Ruthie. "We have to do our best to follow Elijah's example. We have to remain heroes. It is the best way to honor is memory," Caliban declared.

"You think so?" a gruff feminine voice asked.

Marguerite entered the large room carrying Ascalon sheathed in the black silk scabbard Elijah had given her. Resting against one of the walls, she wiped a lock of her dark brown hair from her eyes. "What good did he do giving up his life like that? I can't believe that we trusted Bucky of all people! And what about MacDuff? We have to take him out. I promised," she told them.

"We have plenty of time for that. For now, you need rest," Caliban told her.

_"I will rest when MacDuff is mine!"_ Marguerite growled.

An echoing **clap-tap clap-tap** alerted them to a new presence. Marguerite opened the shade slightly to see a white horse galloping with a cloaked rider towards Xanadu. "We've got company," she warned them.

By the time the rider reached Xanadu, Caliban and Marguerite prepared an ambush while Ruthie and Cassie stood out in the open as bait. Slowly, the horse trotted over to Cassie and sniffed her. The rider dismounted and dropped the white cloak.

"Oh my God! It can't be!" Ruthie cried.

"What?" Marguerite asked as she and Caliban revealed themselves from their hiding position.

Elijah Kincaid, naked and as pale as a hospital wall, stood before them.

"Is that you?" Marguerite asked.

Elijah looked at his hands, still surprised to be alive. "I have lost much," he answered.

Caliban wept. "How?" he asked.

"Elijah!" Cassie screamed, still in shock.

Marguerite stepped closer to him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I have seen better days," Elijah replied slowly.

Marguerite smiled for the first time in three days. "Here's your sword," she told Elijah as she handed his weapon to him.

"What happened?" Caliban asked.

"He was the rider. On a pale horse rode Death," Ruthie explained.

"Where have you been? It has been three days," Caliban asked.

Elijah looked over to Caliban and tried to remember. "It is difficult to remember," he explained.

"What do you remember?" Marguerite asked.

Elijah stepped closer to her. "I remember you," he whispered.

Elijah and Marguerite embraced. "I remember that I love you," he continued.

"Is that all?" Marguerite asked with a joke.

"No. . .I remember chicken," Elijah answered.

Cassie groaned. "I don't get it. How did you get out?" she asked.

"I remember whistling and a strong hand. He pulled me from the Pit. Healed my eyes," Elijah answered.

"Who? Who whistled?" Ruthie asked.

"Iron John," Elijah responded.

"Who's this Iron John?" Cassie asked.

"Are you sure?" Marguerite asked.

"He is also known as the Whistling Dude, Cassie. And yes I am certain, Marguerite," Elijah answered both questions at once.

"I know about the Whistling Dude!" Cassie cried.

"Yes, he knows all of us, even you Caliban," Elijah revealed.

"Then what happened?" Caliban asked.

Elijah scratched his head trying to remember. "He showed me the railroad. 'Many people ride these tracks. Most of them fall off that cliff there.' he told me, 'With your help, I've built a bridge. But as you can see the tracks have a long way to go.'"

"And then what happened?" Ruthie asked.

"He told me that my work was not yet done and that I had a choice. I could rest with him. He told me that I deserved it. Or I could return and complete the Five. He warned me that the Five was headed for a lot of hard times," Elijah told them.

"Hard times? What's that supposed to mean?" Cassie asked sarcastically.

"It is not over for us. For a moment, I knew everything that was going to happen. I knew about the Ascension War. I knew about the traitor. I knew about the gathering of the Twelve. But now it is gone. There is still much to do," Elijah answered.

"You're not doing anything but going to bed for rest," Marguerite told him.

"Rest. . .yes. . .that would be nice," Elijah agreed.

"Wait. I have questions," Caliban protested.

"You can ask them later," Marguerite insisted.

"Just a couple more questions, please," Caliban pleaded.

"Do you feel up to it?" Marguerite asked.

"I. . .can try to answer a few questions. It is good to be with you," Elijah answered

"What happened to Bucky?" Caliban asked.

"He had found the home he has always searched for and the secret receipt for twenty pieces of chicken," Elijah answered.

"Where's that? Kentucky Fried Chicken?" Marguerite asked sarcastically.

"The Void," Elijah explained.

"The Void? That's dead," Cassie protested.

"It is no longer dead. Bucky has given it new life. When Morgana robbed the Void of power, it robbed the collective imagination of humanity. Bucky's essence melted and revitalized the Dreamweb. He is now the Dream Lord of humanity," Elijah continued.

"If Bucky's in control of the Dreamweb, I'm not going to sleep well tonight," Cassie said with a smile.

"Why is your body so pale?" Caliban questioned him.

Cassie opened her fairy eyes and examined Elijah. The fires of Hell had burned all of the hate, malice, and anger from his soul, leaving him clean. Much to her surprise, Elijah was human and so much more. "I have been. . . .transformed. I am no longer just a man," the pale man answered.

"What are you then? An Angel?" Ruthie asked.

"I don't know," Elijah answered honestly.

"Remind me to tell you a little about angels," Cassie whispered to Ruthie.

"Last question," Marguerite insisted.

"Did we start the end times, Elijah?" Ruthie asked.

"It should have never been called the end times. This is not the end, but the beginning of the way things should have been."

_Life is a series of distractions punctuated by brief moments of pure clarity. Everyone faces a single defining moment that changes the entire course of their future. For some that moment becomes the regret of a lifetime. Others have an inspired epiphany that transforms them much like fire transmutes wood into smoke. The sight of Elijah Kincaid returning from the abyss of Hell was akin to seeing Christ roll the stone from his tomb. That was the moment I believed._

_For a lucky few life is a series of exciting adventures punctuated by brief moments of recuperation. It was our time to rest and gain strength for the battles ahead. While the outcome was in doubt, we knew that we would face the challenges with courage, with heart, and with faith._

_The Book of Cassandra, New Revelation_


End file.
